The participation of women as well as men in the workplace is increasing day by day. Currently, the participation of women workers in the agricultural sector has increased significantly in country. However, the wage disparity between women and men is much greater in agriculture than in other workplaces. Women earn about half as much as men, even if the amount of work is equal.
At present many women workers work in Rajbari's crop fields along with men. They do all kinds of work including planting onion and paddy seedlings, weeding the crop fields, tilling the soil. Even if these jobs are equal, women workers get half the wages of men.
It can be seen on the ground in the pastures of Daulatdia, Ujanchar, Debgram Union of Goaland Upazila, women workers are participating in various activities including loosening the field soil, clearing weeds, planting vegetable seedlings. Even though women work continuously from 7:30 am to 5 pm, they get only Tk 350, whereas men get Tk 600-700 for the same job.
Chameli Begum, who works in a tomato field, said, “We do the same work as men, lose our energy as man but our wages are much lower than theirs. We are forced to work with these salary disparities."
Safura Begum, another female worker, said, "I work more hours than men in the field, but I don't get the same wages as men have." We have to work for this little amount of salary because we have family and household responsibilities.”
Akhter Sheikh, the owner of the tomato field, said, "Women workers do not skip work. But women take little more time for housework. We employ them with that in mind.”
Dr Md Shahidul Islam, deputy director of the Rajbari Agricultural Extension Department said, "There are more onion and vegetable plantations here, so women are more likely to work. We are trying to explain this discrimination to farm owners.”
ZH
