Socio - economic and employment aspect of domestic female help in Dhaka city

Abstract

Bangladesh where 48.4~t. of population are wO!11eu, their role and status are important indices to natio:1al develoPl:ien!-{ It has been admitted in second Five Year Plan that the extremely low and declining share of female employment ~oints to the fact that women are definitely a disadvantaged group in view of the productive work they are doing and can be done by them. Tileir emploYr.1ent requirement is tlardly recognised. In fact the crucial need at the time is women participation, not only by a segment of women but by all, at all levels, at all sphere of activities specially those submerged in poverty and ignorance. LThe continuous migration of rural people to urban areas in search of regular jobs, beLter living and other facilities are ,, creating pressure on urban centres. Urban centres are not physii cally capable of adequate services required for such newcomers. ! Among the.most unskilled jobs Lhat are easily available for women, specially in cities are those of domestics. They unclertake such subservient jobs in a desperate bid to eke out their existence. t1'he present study is j";iaii11y based on emperical data collec.ted thrciugh survey questionnaire in various parts of the Dhaka city.', ii The study"has t~i8d to e~plain the socio.- eco~omic aspect of the domestics and tl1eir contri~ution to the urban ~conomy. ~inally on the basis of t!le findings from the survey, a set of proposals are given. These may be of some help in establishing policies for the elfected group's near future which is presently covered in'darkness.-!