Civil society members yesterday urged the government to recognise female farm labourers as they have been playing a vital role in ensuring the country’s food security.
They also demanded the equal wage for female farmers like their male colleagues to enhance their potentiality.
They came up with the demanded at a press conference held at the National Press Club auditorium. The Oxfam Bangladesh has organised the event.
“The role of female farm labourers is invisible in agriculture sector, said Prof Sharmind Neelormi of Jahangirnagar University. Currently, the female agriculture workers have been receiving around 41% less wage than male workers, she added.
According to Labor force survey 2005-06, there are around 2.20 core female labours in Bangladesh. Around 77% of them are rural female, who are involved in rural economy that includes agriculture, livestock, poultry and fisheries.
Despite having constitutional assurance of the equal rights for male and female, the females are still facing discrimination in all aspects of their lives, said Monisha Biswas, policy advocacy manager at Oxfam.
In addition, the civil society members urged the government to bring the female farmers under the subsidy scheme of the government to boost their capacity and potentiality.