Women constitute only a small fraction of the 38 lakh Bangladeshi migrants working abroad, but official sources say their numbers are steadily rising, making them a more vital component of Bangladesh's expatriate labor system.

With that rise comes the risk that more women, especially those who migrate illegally, may fall victim to the dark side of the migration labor experience: a widespread, but little discussed system of exploitation that operates both at home and in many countries abroad.

Last year 10,172 women sought work in foreign lands through regular channels. Sources from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) say 50 percent of them work as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, with the remaining spread throughout the Middle East and other countries.

Until recently many women were not legally permitted to migrate abroad for work. In 1997 the government banned the expatriation of all unskilled and semi-skilled female labor, following increasing reports of exploitation and abuse of Bangladeshi nationals in foreign countries. But the ban was later repealed in 2003, according to BMET director general SM Wahiduzzaman.

"The government relaxed the ban on unskilled and semi-skilled women domestic workers to the Middle East in response to the requests of many organisations that the ban increases the risk of women trafficking," he said.

The government, through the authority of the BMET, now stipulates a number of mandatory protection for female labor, including training courses to educate women about cultural and working conditions abroad and requiring recruiting agencies to compensate female workers in the even of exploitation or lost wages.

The repeal of the ban has lead to an appreciable rise in the number of women migrating abroad for work, experts and official sources say, adding that the increase is good for the country and good for the women themselves. "Women tend to better utilize and send home more of their earnings as compared to men," said Tasneem Siddique, chairperson of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), citing a 2001 report published by her organization, Transcending Boundaries: Labor Migration of Women from Bangladesh. "Employment abroad affords women economic independence and social empowerment," Siddique added.

Lower migration fees are another benefit of female labor, since in most cases women pay only Tk 40,000 to 60,000 to arrange their trips abroad, as compared to at least Tk one to two lakh for men. As a result, women have less debt to repay and therefore more money to send home.

Women working abroad offer tremendous economic and social prospects for Bangladesh. But lack of training and illegal migration makes them vulnerable to the system of exploitation underlying migratory labor.

The difficulties often begin even before they leave their native land since I most cases they must pay a recruiting agency Tk 60, 000 to arrange their trip, including their visa and a place of work abroad. Often they sell their land or borrow heavily to pay the exorbitant fees, hoping to recoup the losses after they've arrived abroad. But many are not that fortunate, and find that they are forced to work long hours for less pay than they were promised. Some are not paid at all. The least fortunate are beaten or verbally assaulted on a regular basis. Despite these hardships, many women are unable to sim;y leave or return home, since they often do not have money, are confined to their employer's home, or do not speak the language well enough to find for themselves.

This is a story repeated many times over Baliarpur village of Kunda Union, Savar, where many of the residents have worked abroad. One of them is Shamsunnahar, 35, who went to Bahrain in 2000 to work as a domestic worker. The prospect of a better life cost her dearly: Tk 60,000, which she borrowed from her relatives at the interest rate of one hundred percent. One of her aunts, Piara, who has been working for a Bahrain family since 1988, arranged her visa with the lucrative offer that she could refund the borrowed money within a short time and then send back money for her children at home.

But Shamsunnahar's hopes evaporated almost immediately after she arrived in Bahrain, when she learned she could not follow the language of her employers. "My madam orders me to bring a bowl; I give a glass. Or she orders me to wash the toilet; I start sweeping the room," says Shamsunnahar, mother of two sons and a daughter.

"So, my sir and madam were very unhappy with me. They scolded, and even sometimes beat me up. My aunt lived far from me, but still tried to help me learn the language, but it was quite impossible for me, and so I finally decided to return. It was only a one month and 8-day stay there," she wails, sitting on the veranda of her one-room makeshift.

Shamsunnahar returned home with no money, three mouths to feed and unimaginable amount of debt. This is a tale repeated many times over by women in Baliarpur village who have returned from Middle Eastern countries. Illegal migrants often face even harsher conditions, such as those suffered by Jamila, a domestic worker in Dubai whose tragic fate was chronicled in The Daily Star.

However, BMET director general S.M. Wahiduzzaman said BMET provides mandatory training for all workers, including women, to explain the customs and traditions of respective countries, as well as the nature of work and proper treatment abroad.

Illegal workers are not afforded the benefits of such training, rendering them vulnerable to exploitation, the DG said. "All who go for jobs must secure clearance from BMET," he said, adding, "The government cannot do much for those who go through illegal channels."

Some migration laborer advocates, however, said the orientation provided by the BMET is not adequate for the unskilled domestic workers, since most of them hail from remote areas and lack the education training to understand the orientation. More than that, corrupt officials create opportunities for migrant workers, including women, to pay bribes so that they can receive clearance without actually attending pre-departure orientation classes, the sources added.

Migration advocates insist the system of female migratory labor is worth protecting, but needs more oversight and better training for workers.

"We want the women of our country go to other countries for work and contribute to Bangladesh's economy, but at the same time they must be well prepared, and their vulnerability and exploitation must be considered," said Syed Saiful Haque Asif, Chairman of the Welfare Association of Repatriate Bangladeshi Employees (Warbe), which operates 13 centers in the country helping Bangladeshi repatriates to rehabilitate.