Coordinated national response needed to ensure rights of child domestic workers

Weaknesses in the existing legal framework and its implementation continue to leave child domestic workers highly vulnerable as 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.

"The first thing that is needed is public awareness. Our initiatives will succeed only if people become aware," Labour Secretary further said, “Expressing optimism that the dialogue would generate effective recommendations and strengthen coordination among the relevant stakeholders to safeguard the rights of child domestic workers.”

Recalling the country's commitment to eliminate child labour by 2025, he said the target had not been achieved and urged the government to enact a dedicated law without delay.

He called on the government to take immediate and effective legislative measures to ensure the rights and protection of child domestic workers in fulfilment of its electoral pledges and declared commitments.

The dialogue was chaired by Labour and Employment Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tafadar and attended by Additional Secretary Md Abdur Rahim Khan, International Labour Organization (ILO) Bangladesh Representative Syeda Munira Sultana, National Human Rights Commission Deputy Director M Rabiul Islam, EDUCO Bangladesh Child Labour Elimination Programme Manager Afzal Kabir Khan, Bangladesh Labour Foundation Executive Director AKM Ashraf Uddin, ASD Project Manager UKM Farhana Sultana and ASD Coordinator Syed Shahinur Rahman, among others.

-A/SA