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Speakers at a webinar on Thursday called for strengthening the social security of the country's domestic helps who are impacted largely by Covid-19 pandemic.
They said about 95 per cent of the domestic workers cannot continue their jobs because of coronavirus outbreak.
Rights activists, experts and parliamentarians attended the virtual seminar, stressing on the need for enacting law to ensure legal supports for the domestic workers.
Securing Rights Project, funded by seven organisations including Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies-BILS, organised the webinar marking the International Domestic Workers Day-2020.
Speakers said the workers are the most affected group by the pandemic in Bangladesh. Of them, domestic workers are in more vulnerable condition.
Participating in the webinar, Rasheda K Choudhury, Executive Director at Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said that it is needed to implement the domestic workers' policy properly.
Otherwise, it will not be possible to confirm their rights, she added.
Skill certification will help improve the condition of domestic workers. At the same time, employers also should change their attitude towards the domestic helps, said the ED of CAMPE.
Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Labour and Employment Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan, MP, said that about 85 per cent of the workers lost jobs during the pandemic in the country. So, they are living in a miserable condition. Besides, most of the domestic helps worked on part time basis. Majority of them also lost jobs. BILS Chairman Habibur Rahman Siraj presided over the seminar while member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Labour and Employment Israfil Alam, MP, also joined the programme.