Call to enact laws to protect domestic helps  

Weaknesses in the existing legal framework and its implementation continue to leave child domestic workers highly vulnerable. Against this backdrop, government officials, development partners, human rights advocates and labour rights campaigners underscored the need for a coordinated national response to ensure the rights, protection and social security of children engaged in domestic work. 

The observations came at a dialogue on Tuesday titled "What We Can Do for the Rights and Protection of Children Engaged in Domestic Work", organised in the capital by Action for Social Development (ASD) in collaboration with the Child Labour Elimination Platform (CLEP).

Presenting the keynote paper, Professor Dr Nazmuzzaman Bhuiyan of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka said the existing legal framework�"including the Labour Act, the Children Act, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, the Penal Code and other relevant laws and policies�"does not provide adequate legal protection for children engaged in domestic work.

He noted that domestic work has yet to be included in the list of hazardous occupations for children, a gap that continues to impede efforts to eliminate child labour in the sector.

"In light of the Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Policy, it is necessary to enact a dedicated Domestic Worker Protection Act with particular emphasis on the rights and protection of child domestic workers," he said, expressing hope that the government would take the necessary legislative initiative.

Speaking at the dialogue, Labour Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tafadar said, “The government had already undertaken a number of initiatives to improve the protection of domestic workers.”

"The process of forming a monitoring committee for the welfare and protection of domestic workers is underway. Activities will be carried out through coordination among all government and non-government organisations working in this sector," he added.

He stressed that raising public awareness was a prerequisite for ensuring the success of such initiatives.