Bangladeshi Female Workers Leaving Saudi Because Of Sexual Abuse

Bangladesh admitted for the first time recently that its female workers are being repatriated from Saudi Arabia because of sexual abuse.

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In a report submitted by Bangladesh's Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to the parliamentary standing committee, the department admitted women had come back because of sexual and physical abuse.

This admission comes after the committee demanded answers on whether women are facing abuse while working in Saudi Arabia. The ministry responded by stating that testimony from 111 women who returned in August 2019 from the Gulf kingdom showed that 35 percent of returnees had left because of sexual and physical abuse. The report noted 11 reasons why Bangladeshi female workers ran away from their employers. These include physical abuse, deprivation of food and holidays, denial of sick leave, and nonpayment of salaries.