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| Representational image. File photo |
According to a recent survey, more than 90% of working women in Bangladesh are employed in the unorganised sector, which was especially severely impacted during the epidemic.
A conference yesterday called "Strengthening Systems for Pandemic Preparedness among Working Women Living in Informal Settlements in Urban Bangladesh" presented the findings.
With financial assistance from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, it was co-organized by SickKids, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), and icddr.
Key stakeholders convened at the icddr,b in Dhaka to discuss the results of the Women RISE study and the implications for policy.
The study, which was headed by Dr. Sohana Shafique, evaluated the experiences of working women in factories and informal settlements in Dhaka and Gazipur both before and after the epidemic.
"I think that this study's findings will assist us all get ready for any upcoming epidemic. Given the rise of COVID-19 instances, we should exercise caution at this time. Once more, giving us the opportunity to further refine and beautify our work," stated Dr. Tahmeed Ahmed, the executive director of icddr.
According to Mohammad Nora Alam Siddique, additional secretary for the health ministry, "The ministry is committed to collaborating with the cross-sectional groups to improve the systems."
In order to improve pandemic resistance and social protection coverage for urban poor working women, Dr. Tahmina Shirin, director of IEDCR, emphasised the significance of evidence-based collaboration.
The study revealed significant gains after focused interventions.
Overall, knowledge of the routes of exposure to respiratory infections rose by 29.59 percent, with workers in the informal sector increasing their knowledge by 36.28 percent.
Overall, preventive practices also improved by 15.95 percent, and among informal workers, awareness of Social Safety Net Program registration rose by 16.26 percent.
News Source: THE DAILY STAR