UNDP Country Director, Mr. Stefan Priesner, together with the Honourable Minister for Labour, Employment, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Engr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, jointly launched a UNDP-supported report on HIV vulnerabilities faced by women migrants: from Bangladesh to the Arab States.

The study, undertaken by Bangladeshi NGO OKUP (Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program) reveals the social, economic and health toll that migration imposes on emigrating women, particularly low-skilled ones who are lured by job prospects. The economic gains generated by migrant workers are enormous, reaching almost 9.4 % of GDP in Bangladesh in 2007 said Stefan Priesner, UNDP Country Director. It is therefore critical that good working conditions and support are provided to migrant workers throughout the migration cycle he added.

The study highlighted that women migrants also face numerous hardships, including irregular payment of salaries, long working hours, physical and sexual abuse. In situations of abuse, domestic workers sometimes resort to running away, which increases their vulnerability to other forms of exploitation, including forced prostitution or trafficking. Domestic work in the Arab countries where the study took place and in Bangladesh is not covered by labour laws and women migrants, therefore, have no access to legal redress when exploited or abused.

The Honourable Minister noted that Host countries and countries of origin have an equal responsibility to provide protective policies and programmes. However, progress is being made and there is more dialogue between origin and host countries which is helping us ensure that migrant rights are respected and protected while they are abroad.

The Bangladesh study, forms one of the country chapters of the regional report titled HIV vulnerabilities faced by women migrants: from Asia to the Arab states launched earlier in March 2009.