Rashed Khan Menon MP, President of Workers Party & Minister for Civil Aviation & Tourism has stressed on the need for establishing equal rights for women in all spheres of life, including family, workplace and society in state.
“Women are deprived and exploited as workers or professionals. This discrimination between men and women should be eliminated for the emancipation of the human being and nations, including Bangladesh,” said Rashed Khan while addressing an event on International Women’s Day in Dhaka. The meeting was presided over by President of National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) Amirul Haque Amin.
While talking about women’s right, the Minister advocated for provision for 6-month paid maternity leave to Government employees and 4-month for garment workers. “Why should we not provide 6-month paid maternity leave to female garment workers, when we have given that to public sector’s women?” he questioned.
Rashed rejected the argument made by RMG factory owners that the sector will be badly affected if 6-month paid maternity leave is provided to women workers. “The argument made by RMG factory owners had no justification,” the Minister said.
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Urging all quarters, including women workers, to use to their strengths to eliminate crime against women, he stressed on an outcome of a study reportedly published by newspapers yesterday that 22 per cent of women workers and employees are sexually harassed in their workplace in Bangladesh.
