RAJSHAHI, Sept 27, 2023 (BSS) - Women workers in different informal sectors, domestic and households, are playing vital roles everywhere in the present society as their contribution is gradually seen rising in terms of rising demands.

 
They are also contributing to the process of achieving sustainable development and time has come to bring women participation in all the informal sectors under institutional recognition for their welfare.

Academics and development activists made the observation while addressing a sharing session titled "Contribution of the Informal Sector and Women's Participation in Sustainable Development: Challenges and Prospects" here today.
 
On behalf of its 'Securing Rights of Domestic Workers in Bangladesh and Empowering Women through Civil Society Actors in Bangladesh' project, Association for Community Development (ACD) organized the session at Deans Complex in Rajshahi University (RU).
 
Oxfam in Bangladesh, Global Affairs Canada and the European Union supported the meeting together with implementing the project financially and technically.
 
ACD Executive Director Salima Sarwar welcomed the technical session, while Programme Coordinator Subrata Kumar Paul moderated the discussion.
 
Richa Sharma from Oxfam Canada presented a research paper related to the Global Perspective of Informal Sector Women Workers and SDG.
 
Tarek Aziz from Oxfam in Bangladesh talked about the issue of Informal Sector Women Workers and SDG: Perspective Bangladesh.
 
With Prof Elias Hossain, Dean of RU Social Science Faculty, in the chair, Prof Tanzima Zohura Habib and Prof Rabiul Islam from the Department of Social Works, Associate Prof Satil Siraj of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism and ACD Programme Director spoke as resource persons disseminating their expertise on the issue.
 
The discussants unanimously mentioned that collective efforts of all the government, non-government and volunteer organizations concerned can be the effective means of protecting the legitimate rights of the domestic workers.
 
Many of the solvent families, even some of the low-incoming ones, are seen dependent on the household workers. So, right-protection of domestic workers has become an urgent need.
 
Present government has formulated the 'Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, 2015' with the main thrust of ensuring protection and welfare of all the household workers.

Salima Sarwar said they are implementing the "Strengthen Women's Movement for Increased Participation of Women Working at Informal Occupations in Rajshahi'' project for empowering marginalized women working in informal occupations and strengthening public institutions to ensure responsiveness towards gender concerns.

Around 400 domestic female workers are getting capacity building support in terms of ensuring their legitimate rights through empowerment with the project interventions.
 
Initiative has also been taken to bring them under awareness and orientation programmes related to their human rights and gender based discrimination, violence and sexual exploitation they face in their workplace.
 
The 15-month project is being implemented in Ward Numbers 18, 19, 24 and 28 in RCC for empowering marginalized women working in informal occupations and strengthening public institutions to ensure responsiveness towards gender concerns.

As a whole, the project will sensitize the community to promote increased participation of women working in informal occupations through community radio.