Suraiya Akter, DU Correspondent
In Bangladesh, the garment industry drives the country’s economic growth, contributing to an impressive 6 percent growth rate for nearly a decade. Bangladesh is now one of the world’s leading clothing exporters, second only to China, and the garment industry employs 3.6 million workers out of a total population of over 150 million. Out of which 90 percent of the workers are women or under aged girls. These women are playing the role of ‘Wonder Women’ in the national enrichment.
But female workers in Bangladesh continue to lose their health and lives while contributing in the Growth National Income (GNI). The female workers are exposed to different occupational health hazards such as work environmental hazards, physical hazards, maternity health hazard and mental hazards. Environmental hazards include working hours, absence of health facilities, lack of safe drinking water, negligence of labour cost etc.
Most of the female workers are suffering from malnutrition. These hazards not only affect the female workers’ mental and physical condition but also the quality of work and productivity. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has adopted many policies to improve the health of the population and include them in family planning. Yet, there is no specific health policy for these working women. But, as most of the female garment workers have little or no education they can’t feel the importance to participate in the health care service or adopt any family planning, they even are not aware of their own health conditions. As a result, the maternity death rate, infant death rate, malnutrition are largely seen among these female workers.
In this tangled period, a person has come forward to incorporate family planning policy in the sector. This person’s name is Abdullah-Al-Hadi, he is a family planning officer (from 31st B.C.S) in Mirpur, Dhaka. He publicly urges all garment factory owners to come forward and requests them to help their female workers to receive family planning services. Abdullah Hadi said to Bangladesh Post that, “The most vulnerable sector of Bangladesh is the garment sector, mostly Dhaka city. We are not being able to give them proper health care facilities. Also, the Government doesn’t have any particular policy in this sector. As a result, they are deprived of their health care rights. Some NGOs tried to reach these female workers but this is insufficient.” Mr. Hadi hopes that in a shortest period they may be able to launch such a project where every female workers get health care services either at their work place or at their home. Mr. Hadi thought that as working women don’t get enough time to take care of themselves and they always are busy with their work, they can’t avail any health care services. It hardly reaches them.
That’s why, Mr. Hadi proposed for an orientation in all garments factories with the help of all the owners where they can know each other and they will be able to acquire knowledge about this health service. There is a matter of hope that, Family Week Service will be held from 7th of December to the 12th all over the Bangladesh to encourage the people to get family planning or raise awareness.
Answering the question of this plan, Mr. Hadi said, they will provide their service every work day and will try their best to bring them under the health care service. Mr. Hadi thinks that, if they can implement this plan then in the meantime country’s remittance will be increased as workers will be healthier, the next generation will be healthier. And, Mr. Hadi wants to spread the slogan of our honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, “The whole population will stand up with head-high.” Lastly, Mr. Hadi wants to spread this message –“We are working for the betterment of health of female workers, we will give them free service under any condition, and whoever is not aware of this please note that you are warmly welcome here anytime.”