Women farm labourers in the district are being deprived of their right to get the same wages as male labourers.
Women farm labourers said they get Tk 120-130 per day whereas a male labourer gets Tk 300-350 per day. They do the same work as male labourers, sometimes even more, but they are not given fair wage, they added.
“We work like male labourers, but we are paid less than 50 percent of what male labourers get,” said Anjoli Rani, 36, of Chaklarhat village under Kaliganj upazila. “We are forced to work for low wages as there is no opportunity to get job in the village,” she added.
“We start working in the crop field at 8:00am and end at 5:00pm everyday, with only half-an- hour break for lunch,” said Hamida Begum, 42, of Chandrapur village.
Farmer Delwar Hossain said he hires women labourers as they are paid low wage and do not avoid their duty.
Khet Majur Mahila Samity President Noor Jahan Begum said many women farm labourers earn their livelihood working in the crop fields everyday, but they are afraid to demand wages equal to a male labourer's. “Our organisation is trying to unite women farm labourers against wage discrimination,” she added. Women farm labourers urged the authorities concerned to fix daily wage for them.