The project addresses the pervasive issues of female domestic workers in Bangladesh who, due to the lack of formal recognition under labor laws and social protection schemes, endure extensive exploitation. The challenges faced by these domestic workers include long work hours, low wages, job insecurity, absence of leave entitlements, freedom of movement restrictions, and vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The informal nature of domestic work leads to the absence of formal contracts or negotiated wages, contributing to undervaluation and poor regulation of this sector. As a result, this socially-excluded, precarious segment of the workforce, devoid of labor and social protection laws, becomes highly susceptible to various forms of abuse, exploitation, and violence.

Bangladesh’s labor market is marked by the highly gender-specific nature of domestic work, with approximately 90% of domestic workers being women, and the majority of their informal employers also being women. The prevalence of violence against female domestic workers is alarming, with reports indicating that half of married female domestic workers aged 15 and older have experienced intimate partner violence within their own homes. The first half of 2019 witnessed 21 reported cases of violence against female domestic workers by their employers. In the broader context of intimate partner violence, the Bangladesh Violence Against Women (VAW) survey in 2015 revealed that over two-thirds of married women had experienced one or more forms of violence by their husbands during their lifetimes, and more than half had experienced violence within the last 12 months. Despite these high rates of violence, most women did not report the violence to any authorities or friends.

Moreover, despite Bangladesh’s ratification of international conventions, these conventions are not fully recognized in domestic law, and there are no legal repercussions for employers who do not implement or follow the Domestic Workers’ Protection and Welfare Policy (DWPWP), indicating significant shortcomings in policy implementation.