Ethnic woman workers face wage disparity at Tanore

RAJSHAI, Feb 3: Although the female agricultural workers, especially who come from ethnic community groups, are performing  their job in farming fields at the same level their male counterparts do,  still they are facing wage disparity in the Rajshahi region, particularly at Tanore upazila.
Traditionally, most of the ethnic female members work in agricultural works like seedling transplantation, weeding and harvesting along with their male members.
Now the farmers here are passing very busy time in Boro cultivation. Many female farmers come to work in seeding transplantation with the male counterparts. Though they work for the same time and do the equal work, they get half of a male wage.   
Interestingly, the female workers are most experienced and efficient in works than that of their male counterparts. They also manage their households and nurse and care their offspring.
Talking to The Daily Observer, Rani Kisku, 60, a day-labourer of Talando Uporpara, said she has been facing disparity for 50 years. Now she works in seeding transplantation.  She is more efficient in seedling transplantation. But she has to pay half of a male worker.
"The employers give us Tk 100 to 150 as daily payment while Tk 200 to 250 is given to the male workers. Many of the land owners choose the female workers in farming activities as their wage is less to some extent than the male ones'. The malpractice has been taking place for long, and none has headache in this regard," she added.
During visit, this correspondent found six ethnic females working in seeding transplantation at Beel Kumaribeel area of the upazila. They said that though the female workers are more honest to work than the male workers, they get fewer wage as they are most vulnerable in the present social context. They want to get equal wage as they are doing the equal volume of work in the same time like male workers, they added.
In this regard, Shoriful Islam, upazila agriculture officer at Tanore, said that the female labours should be paid  wage equal to her counterparts'.
He also informed that Boro target is to cultivate 13,200 hectors of land this year. Now the farmers here are passing very busy time in Boro seeding transplantation, and it will take some more days to complete.