Plights of Women Construction Workers in Bangladesh

The construction industry plays an important role in the economic development of a country like Bangladesh. In recent years, the sector has experienced considerable growth, resulting in the creation of numerous jobs. Currently, men and women are working in this sector, which is a very favorable aspect. However, construction workers in Bangladesh, particularly women workers, are exposed to hazardous conditions on many construction sites and face a variety of challenges, including low wages or wage discrimination, a lack of safety, and abuse. Keeping this in mind, the study was conducted to look into the plight of women construction workers highlighting the issues they encountered at work. Following the qualitative study method data were collected from 10 women workers through in-depth case interviews. The study found that most of the women working in the construction sector are untrained and employed as helpers. They are not given any appointment letters, everything is determined verbally. They are facing discrimination and injustice in various ways such as long working hours, lower wages than the male workers, lack of safety measures, medical care facilities, etc. In addition, male coworkers and superiors have also exposed them to various sorts of mental and even sexual harassment. It is expected that the findings of this study would help in understanding at least some of the major issues regarding their plight, as well as establishing and protecting the human rights of women construction workers.