BASUG (Diaspora and Development) Newsletter 6th Year of Publication BASUG (Diaspora and Development) (A mouthpiece of Bangladesh & Asian Diaspora in the Netherlands) July 2011 Domestic Workers gets ILO recognition International Labour Organization (ILO) on will come under pressure from the June 17 adopted a new Convention that will global community, if it is learnt. enable domestic workers to enjoy rights and Terming it a historic event, ILO Direc- benefits available to other workers. The stan- tor General Juan Somavia, said “We are dards in the new ILO convention supported by moving the standard system of the ILO “Together we Bangladesh in the International Labour Confer- into the informal economy for the first ence (June 1-17) in Geneva include reasonable time which is a major breakthrough”. can make the working hours and a weekly break of at least 24 consecutive hours. “Any country world a better Millions of domestic workers contribute to the violating labour rights households and the labour market, but remain will come under place to live outside the scope of labour and social protec- pressure from the tion. It also says the employee must have clear global community, if in” information on job's terms and conditions, it is learnt” right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, said ILO in its statement yesterday. The ILO member countries will ratify it and “Bringing the domestic workers into Inside this issue: consequently enact new national laws or add the fold of our values is a strong move chapters in the laws recognising the domestic for every worker who aspires for a workers. Any country violating labour rights decent job,” Somavia said. Cont’d pg 5 Domestic Workers 1 gets ILO recognition BASUG in Sri Lanka: EC-UN JMDI 1 EC-UN JMDI Remittance Project Ends: Targets achieved Remittance Project Ends: Targets achieved The 18-months long pro- vided technical assistance European countries. The 3 ject, „leveraging remit- to the project. main objectives of the train- ing were to make migrants Intimate partner tances for socio-economic Beneficiaries: The num- and their family members violence development in Sri Lanka‟ ber of direct beneficiaries aware about how to trans- Domestic Violence 3 powered by EC-UN Joint of the fer remit- still a grave concern Initiative on Migration and project tances Development (JMDI) in Sri through Lanka ended successfully in formal Diaspora Bond to be 6 was March 2011, two months channel, launched 805, opportu- later of the schedule time. while it nities It was a joint initiative of was 205 available Project-Remittances 7 BASUG, INAFI Bangladesh in at home if for Community De- and SEEDS of Sri Lanka. Europe. remit- velopment BASUG was the lead part- There tances are were BASUG, TNU & 10 ner of the whole project. sent INAFI on TV Talk 886 indirect beneficiaries through formal channel, BASUG implemented the show on Remittance in Sri Lanka and 410 in investment opportunities of project in four European Europe. A total of 12 finan- remittances in Sri Lanka etc. Tommy Miah - 13 countries (The Nether- cial literacy trainings were SEEDS also organised 3 ad- a success story of a lands, Italy, France and organised by SEEDS in Sri vocacy workshops and 30 Bangladeshi expat Germany), SEEDS in Sri Lanka while BASUG organ- trainings (10 Enter- ised 4 trainings in four Lanka and INAFI Asia pro- prise ...continued on page 2 BASUG (Diaspora and Development) Page 2 Women: The Bangladesh Perspective by Ms. Runa Laila th Bangladesh is the 8 most health status did not yet ernment administrative level) populous country in the translate into women‟s election of 1997 is a milestone world. According to recent employment opportunities. in the history of political repre- estimates, the population One possible explanation sentation of women in Bangla- of Bangladesh ranges be- could be that the gender desh. In 1997 through an act, tween 150 to 164 million stereotype education sys- the government reserved three with a 1,5% population tem prepares women to seats for women in the union growth rate annually. be better mothers or (Ms.Runa Laila, Board Women constitute half of wives rather than encour- “Women are still under the total population in aging them for employ- Member of BASUG is -represented as Assistant professor of Bangladesh. The life expec- ment, which ofcourse var- compared to men in tancy at birth is 63 years ies amongst women in the Department of the national Women and Gender for both males and fe- different social classes. parliament and in the males. studies, University of The labor force participa- local government.” Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the tion of women still remains poorest countries in the She is currently a PhD low at about 26%. A large parishad where women mem- Fellow at the world, where gross na- number of women‟s em- bers are elected from each of International Institute tional income is $580 per ployment opportunities the three respective wards. of Social Studies of person per year. Despite have been created in the Apart from the reserved seats Erasmus University, low levels of per capita export garment industry women can also contest for any the Netherlands) income, Bangladesh has since the 80s. Eighty per- of the general seats. achieved dramatic im- cent of the 1,4 million gar- provements in increasing ment workers are women. the level of girl‟s education However, only a small frac- and in reducing the mater- tion of women work in the ......continued from page 1 BASUG in Sri Lanka: nal mortality rate within a formal sector. In the re- relatively short period of cent years, about 15 per- management, 10 Basic Book-keeping and accounting and time. cent of government service 10 Business Development Services). The enrollment in primary holders are women and education has increased Sustainability: The most important success story of the among them only 2 per- project is that it has been progressing towards sustainabil- from 55% in 1988 to 97% cent are in senior posi- in 2010, achieving gender ity. The project has developed partnership with non-bank tions. financial institutions like LOLC Limited, Central Finance parity in primary and sec- Women are also lagging ondary level of education. Limited and behind in terms of political SEEDS- Moreover, maternal deaths participation. (Although have reduced significantly Microfinance. the highest constitutional LOLC has of- over the years. While in position in Bangladesh, that 2001, 322 of every 100,000 fered financial of the prime minister, is products to 410 pregnant women in Bangla- held by women in consecu- desh died during pregnancy target clients. tive terms). However, this LOLC will con- and childbirth, in 2010, prominent position is not only 194 died, which is a tinue to offer reflected throughout every financial literacy 40% decline in 9 years. In layer of public and political addition, the total fertility trainings at its realm. Women are still own cost. LOLC rate of women reduced under-represented as com- significantly from 6,3 in will also con- pared to men in the na- tinue to offer financial products to the target clients. A 1970 to 2,8 in 2010. tional parliament and in the Despite those significant total of 113 target clients have already availed financial local government. Notable services specially credit services from 3 financial institu- progresses in terms of progress has been achieved girl‟s education, increase in tions such as LOLC Limited, Central Finance Limited and in the provision of re- SEEDS-Microfinance in Sri Lanka. These financial institu- life expectancy and less served seats to ensure child bearing burden on tions will continue to offer their financial products and women's political participa- services to the target clients of the project and in future women, still a paradox in tion in the national parlia- terms of gender equality ment and in the local gov- they will cover more migrants‟ families. remains. Increases in ernment. The Union A total of 205 Sri Lankan migrants participated in the women‟s education and Parishad (the lowest gov- workshops organised by BASUG in ....continued on page 5 BASUG (Diaspora and Development) Page 3 Domestic Violence still a grave concern lence includes acts of Women‟s situation still nating domestic violence vide women with equal physical aggression, psy- appears to be grim in not only requires govern- rights in all matters con- chological abuse, forced Bangladesh. Domestic vio- ment intervention, but also cerning marriage, divorce, intercourse and other lence remains a serious considerable long term custody, maintenance and forms of sexual coercion, human rights concern. Do- cultural and attitudinal inheritance. Once discrimi- and various controlling mestic violence resulting change. nation within the family behaviours such as isolat- from dowry disputes The government of Bangla- will disappear, it will ing a person from family ranges from physical tor- desh has taken a “welfarist gradually translate in to the and friends or restricting ture to sustained injuries, approach” up to now, to broader society. access to information and acid attack, suicide and improve the situation of assistance. It may occur at killing. One in two women women. Women are any moment at any place, experience physical vio- viewed as the beneficiaries no matter what kind of Intimate partner violence lence at home. The Gov- of the development inter- social, economical or edu- ernment has enacted sev- ventions through providing Tanbira Talukder cational background a eral laws prohibiting cer- access to education and woman has. Today I‟m tain forms of violence health services or legal aid. going to point out not only against women. Such as the Few women might have the reasons of this social Anti-Dowry Prohibition also gained economic em- disease but also going to Act of 1980; the Cruelty powerment to some ex- mention the result of this to Women Law of 1983; tent through income gen- violation from the re- the Women and Children erating activities due to searcher‟s corner.