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Women migrant workers vulnerable to AIDS

Says UNDP study

Staff Correspondent
Bangladeshi migrants working in different Arab countries are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS as 20 percent of them are abused sexually in their workplaces, according to a report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The report titled 'HIV vulnerabilities faced by women migrants: from Bangladesh to Arab states' also revealed that 85 percent of women workers are abused physically.
The findings of the study conducted by UNDP and Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP) on 247 women were presented at a programmeat a city hotel yesterday.
The study also revealed that only nine percent of women workers received pre-departure training. So, they know little about their workplaces, problems they might face there and where to seek help. They also have little knowledge on HIV/AIDS.
Speakers at the programme said that most women workers are unskilled or semi-skilled worker and receive minimal salary. The domestic w orkers in Bahrain and Dubai are paid just about SlOOamonth.
They stressed the need for pre-departure training, \pluntary counselling and testing of HIV/AIDS. —
They also called for collaboration among the Bangladesh embassy or consulate office, support organisations, migrant workers' associations and medical testing centres in the recipient countries to help women workers.
Training for embassy or consulate staff on how to deal with HIV issues of migrant workers is also important, they added.
Labour Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said that around one lakh women are working abroad and that the government is planning to open a women labour wing in the embassies in different countries, especially in z\rab countries.
"Women officers would be recruited in embassies soon to deal with the issues like HIV/A1DS and others," he said.
"The economic gains generated by migrant workers are enormous, making up almost 9.4 percent of GDP in Bangladesh in 2007," said Stefan Priesner, UNDPCountry Director.
"It is, therefore, critical that good working conditions and support are provided to migrant workers throughout the migration cycle," he added.
Dr Salil Panakadan, UNAIDS country coordinator, Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP HIV team leader and regional programme coordinator, and Shakirul Islam, lead, Researcher and chairman of OKUR alsospoke.