Bangladesh has a total population of about 130 million with a male: female ratio of 1.04:1. Approximately 76% of the population reside in the rural countryside (as per the 2001 census). Life is tough in the villages especially for the womenfolk. The typical Bangladeshi housewife would in most cases, be a young mother, semi literate, living in a remote village with little or no access to basic facilities such as safe drinking water, means of communication and transport, medical help and primary education. They have to shoulder the burden of all household duties including cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children and elderly. Disparities exist in women's access to health & education facilities, employment opportunities and decision-making processes. As a result, they have a harder time getting into schools, and learning a trade or skill. This in turn reduces their chances of securing gainful employment. So their socio-economic condition has remained poor over the last 20 years.

Bangladesh had a severe drought and famine in 1974. The severe economic hardships that followed would have most probably prompted women to seek paid work either inside or outside their homes for the first time. This was an entirely new economic reality which was strikingly out of pace with the then prevalent idea of female seclusion. For obvious reasons, working in their homes was preferable to working in formal workplaces outside their homes. The moment women started realizing that a second source of income was necessary in order to survive, probably that was the beginning of the birth of the concept of women home based workers.

Who is a homeworker?

The word "Homeworker" has for long been loosely used to describe a category of workers, mainly in the informal and unorganized sector who undertake work for wages. However, they differ from other workers in the formal/informal sector by the fact that their work is primarily completed at places other than the factory or workplace of the employer/ contractor.

In 1996, the ILO first drew the world's attention to the growing numbers of Homebased workers and outlined the need for some policies and legislation in their favor. The ILO formally adopted Convention 177 in June 1996 to formulate a guideline for member countries wishing to implement a National Policy on Homeworkers. Homebased work or Home Work has been clearly defined in the ILO Home Work Convention 1996.
A general guideline on the definition of a homebased worker is required to understand the various issues outlined elsewhere.

Homebased workers (HBWs) could be defined as those who are engaged in the production of goods or services for an employer or contractor in an arrangement whereby the work is carried out at a place of the workers' own choice, often the workers' own home.

The system of homebased work is immensely advantageous to women. While performing their routine daily household duties at home, they do additional jobs and supplement the incomes of their families. Women workers can have flexibility in working as there are no fixed hours of work and they do not have to move out of their houses. Working from home could help reduce societal opposition for these women workers to some extent.
Going one step further in the process of differentiating among homebased women workers; there are some for whom this is their main economic activity, while there are others for whom this is a supplementary source of income during their spare time.

The term 'home work' means work carried out by a person, to be referred to as homeworker,
(a) in his or her home or in other premises of his or her own choice, other than the workplace of the employer;
(b) for remuneration;
(c) which results in a product or service as specified by the employer irrespective of who provides the equipment, material or other inputs used,

Unless this person has the degree of autonomy & of economic independence necessary to be considered an independent worker under national laws, regulations or court decisions.

Bangladesh Homeworker Women's Association (BHWA)
House No. 11, Road No. 6, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh
Phone - +88-01720599001, Fax - +88-02-9664557
Email - bhwa_bd@yahoo.com
Siraj/ Drik