Gender Platform Bangladesh has made 6-point demands including the enactment of ‘Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act’ to ensure a harassment-free working environment.
Ashraf Uddin Mukut, executive director of the Bangladesh Labor Foundation, made the demands on behalf of the platform at a press conference held at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club on Wednesday.
According to their other demands, ILO Convention 190 on the elimination of violence and harassment in the workplace has to be ratified; proper implementation of High Court directives issued in 2009 to prevent sexual harassment and protection of women workers from sexual harassment on the way to work and in society has to be ensured; monitoring committee has to be formed at the initiative of the government to ensure implementation of court directives; exemplary punishment has to be ensured to prevent sexual harassment; cases of violence against women and children has to be resolved in a timely manner; discriminatory laws have to be amended and a culture of non-violence against women has to be exercised.
Ashraf Uddin Mukut further said, “We can see that women's participation in the workplace has increased. Women are moving forward along with men. Women are now working in all places including government and private jobs and educational institutions. At the same time, they are also facing various problems. In some cases, they are still being the victim of discrimination. Women are being sexually harassed physically, mentally and verbally. The level of sexual harassment against women is increasing day by day and has taken a horrible form.”
Advocate Seema Zahur, Vice President of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, Nazma Akter, Executive Director of Awaaz Foundation, Rashedul Islam Raju, General Secretary of Industrial Bangladesh Council and Nazma Yasmin, Director of Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS) were present during this time, along with others.
