Gender Platform Bangladesh has called on the government to take immediate and decisive action to ensure a safe, dignified, and harassment-free working environment for women.
The coalition urged the ratification of ILO Convention 190, the enactment of a dedicated law to prevent sexual harassment in workplaces and educational institutions, and the full implementation of recommendations from the Women Affairs Reform Commission and Labour Reform Commission.
The appeal was made during a press conference held at the National Press Club’s Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall, marking World Decent Work Day 2025.
Nazma Yasmin, Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and Secretary of the Gender Platform Secretariat, emphasized that despite some policy progress, violence and harassment against women remain pervasive.
“It is high time Bangladesh translated its commitments into concrete actions by enacting laws and enforcing them effectively,” she said.
Established in 2017, Gender Platform Bangladesh is a coalition of 14 national and international human rights and labour organizations, including BILS, Awaj Foundation, Bangladesh Labour Foundation, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, ETI, FNV Mondiaal, Fair Wear Foundation, Solidarity Center, and The Asia Foundation.
The platform has long advocated for a national framework to eliminate workplace harassment and ratify ILO Convention 190.
In 2018, the platform drafted the “Sexual Harassment Prevention at Workplace Act” and submitted it to the government.
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs later released a revised draft—titled “Sexual Harassment Prevention and Protection at Workplace and Educational Institutions Act, 2024”—for public feedback on February 17.
Nazma Yasmin welcomed the government’s interim steps toward ratifying ILO Convention 190, stating that its adoption would reinforce Bangladesh’s global commitment to protecting women from violence in the world of work.
However, recent data paints a troubling picture.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ 2024 Violence Against Women Survey, 70% of women have experienced intimate partner violence.
Between January and September 2025, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad recorded 2,237 cases of violence against women and girls, including 481 rapes and 144 gang rapes.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) reported 151 sexual harassment cases and 387 rapes in the first eight months of the year.
The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) documented 512 cases of violence between January and April, while the Cyber Support for Women and Children (CSWC) noted a rise in digital harassment and blackmail.
“These figures reveal that legal gaps and weak enforcement continue to endanger women in workplaces, online spaces, and communities,” the platform stated.
At the press conference, Gender Platform Bangladesh presented eight key demands:
1. Immediate ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 190
2. Finalization and gazette notification of the 2024 sexual harassment prevention law
3. Strict enforcement of the 2009 High Court directives
4. Formation of a government monitoring committee
5. Prompt and exemplary punishment for perpetrators
6. Implementation of reform commission recommendations
7. Gender-responsive reforms in labour laws and policies
8. Active complaint committees and accountability mechanisms
The platform also criticized existing laws—including the Penal Code (1860), Women and Children Repression Prevention Act (2000), and Labour Act (2006)—for failing to define “sexual harassment.”
Although the 2022 amendment to Labour Rules (Rule 361K) mandated complaint committees, many remain inactive or ineffective.
A 2024 BILS study titled “Complaint Committee in Bangladesh’s RMG Industries” found that awareness, capacity-building, and transparent complaint mechanisms can significantly reduce workplace harassment.
The study recommended gender-sensitivity training, zero-tolerance policies, and confidential reporting systems.
Concluding the event, Nazma Yasmin reaffirmed the platform’s commitment: “Enacting laws and ratifying conventions are important first steps.”
But true progress will come only when every woman in Bangladesh—whether in a factory, office, or classroom—feels safe, respected, and empowered to work with dignity.”