Number of female migrant workers drops for second consecutive year

The Middle East remains the primary destination for women seeking employment abroad, with most working as domestic helpers. However, many return home after facing various forms of abuse and torture.

Allegations of sexual harassment have also surfaced, dampening the enthusiasm of women to seek jobs in these countries. Consequently, the number of women workers going abroad has been steadily declining over the past two years.

According to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), 105,466 women workers went abroad in 2022. This figure dropped to 76,108 in 2023, marking a 28 per cent decline. In 2024, the number further decreased to 61,158, a 20 per cent reduction from the previous year.

Firoza, a resident of Manikganj, returned from Saudi Arabia in October after working there for two years. She shared her ordeal with Prothom Alo, recounting how her salary was initially low but paid regularly during her first year.

However, in her second year, despite a salary increase, she was not paid for 11 consecutive months. When she finally returned home, she received her overdue wages in a lump sum. During her time there, she often went hungry and endured physical abuse from her employer.

Firoza now lives in poverty with her child and advises other women against going to Saudi Arabia to work as domestic helpers even if one has to live on the edge of poverty.

While overseas employment has grown in recent years, the number of female workers going abroad has been declining proportionally. Over the past three years, more than 3.4 million workers have secured jobs abroad, but fewer than 250,000 of them were women.

From 2015 to 2019, over 100,000 female workers left Bangladesh annually for jobs abroad. However, this figure dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Although numbers rebounded in the following two years, they have been decreasing again for the past two years.

Ali Haider Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), explained to Prothom Alo that several factors have contributed to the decline. The mandatory training period for female workers has been extended from one to two months, lengthening the overall processing time.

Additionally, negative publicity about the living and working conditions abroad has discouraged many women from pursuing jobs as domestic workers. Furthermore, demand for Bangladeshi female workers has fallen, as Saudi employers are now hiring workers from African countries.

According to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), last year, female workers were sent to 56 countries. However, fewer than 10 women went to 30 of these countries, and only 1 worker went to 16 countries. More than 1,000 female workers went to just five countries: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Of these, Saudi Arabia remained the largest destination, accounting for 66 per cent of all female workers, totalling over 40,000.

Shahida Begum, a 40-year-old from Faridpur, returned from Saudi Arabia in October after two years and three months of employment. She shared her harrowing experience with Prothom Alo. Despite working full-time in a single household, she was often deprived of food, paid less than promised, and physically abused by her employer’s son.

After a fall down the stairs left her with a sprained leg, she was denied medical treatment. 700 riyals (17,500 taka) had been deducted from her salary and she was not given a return ticket as promised. Now struggling financially, she cannot afford medical treatment for herself.

Non-governmental organisations such as BRAC, Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP), and Bangladesh Nari Sramik Kendra provide support services to women returning from overseas employment. Officials from these organisations report widespread issues faced by female workers abroad, including being misled about job conditions, forced to work in multiple households, enduring 14 to 16-hour workdays, receiving low or irregular wages, and being denied proper meals.

Physical and mental abuse is a common complaint, with some cases even leading to suicide. Many women have escaped abusive situations, returning home after being detained by local authorities.

Shakirul Islam, Chairperson of OKUP, emphasised that domestic work remains the only viable option for many women seeking employment abroad.

However, the prevalence of harassment and exploitation discourages them from taking such risks. “There is increasing awareness of the challenges women face abroad, and false promises no longer persuade them as easily,” he said.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo angla edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat