1st National Conference on SRHR at Workplace held

Staff Reporter: The‘1st National Conference on SRHR at Workplace’ was held in Dhaka yesterday, 19 September 2018, to leverage greater policy support, collaboration and knowledge generation to help improve access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at workplace.

Department of Population Sciences of Dhaka University and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation jointly organised the conference at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban, University of Dhaka. The event brought together academicians, activists, researchers, private sector, NGOs and donors to discuss problems and solutions impacting the lives of individuals, including women and their ability to exercise and access SRHR at workplace, especially in the garment sector.

The conference was a part of the Working with Women-II project implemented by SNV Bangladesh. This project is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and builds on the success of a three-year pilot project (Working with Women-I). The project supports better implementation of workplace policies on SRHR and health and takes initiatives to ensure the right mechanisms are in place for its implementation.

Mr. Md. Mujibul Haque, MP, Hon’ble State Minister, Ministry of Labour and Employment,attended the inauguration session as the Chief Guest. Mr. JeroenSteeghs, Head of Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation,Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Prof.Dr.Nasreen Ahmad, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Dhaka; and Mr. Md. Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin), President, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)were present as the Special Guests on the occasion. Prof.Dr. Mohammad Mainul Islam, Chairman, Department of Population Sciences, University of Dhaka, chaired the event.

Addressing the inaugural session, Hon’ble State MinisterMr. Md. Mujibul Haquesaid the government has been taking a wide range of measuresfor the wellbeing of the workers. He also called upon the businesses tofurther extend their support to help improve the lives of the workers.

The daylong conference hosted four parallel sessions to highlight and discuss the findings of research abstracts focusing on four thematic areas including SRHR Education & Information,  Access & Utilization of SRHR Services at Workplace, Family Planning and Abortion Care and Neglected Issues of SRHR (i.e. Menstrual Hygiene Management, Violence against Women & Sexual Harassment). Two discussion sessions were also held at the conference on the Role of Media in Promoting SRHR at Workplace and Youth Engagements in SRHR. The parallel sessions and discussion sessions offered a close look at some of the most critical issues affecting access to SRHR services, products and knowledge in families, communities and workplace.

The issue of SRHR at the workplace is often sidelined from key policy debates though the quality of access to SRHR has a significant impact on the productivity and general health and well-being of workers, especially in the low-income settings and the profit-driven market dynamics. In these contexts, the booming garment industry in Bangladesh has become a critical location for looking behind the numbers and assess the extent to which the SRHR needs are addressed and recognized. The Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry is the mainstay of the Bangladesh economy, accounting for 81% of the country’s total export. Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment producer with more than 4,700 factories, employing above 4 million workers, of most of whom are women.

Academics,experts and stakeholders expressed hope that the Conference, the first-ever of its kind in Bangladesh, would be the beginning of a groundbreaking initiative to create a knowledge platform on SRHR at workplace.