Mrs. Chamila Thushari, head coordinator, Dabindu Collective, says that trade zone workers are suffering due to sexual harassment in the workplace. She says free trade zone workers are the most persecuted and are being harassed in the workplace even in the Covid epidemic. The government has totally ignored these workers.
Mrs. Chamila Thushari, head coordinator of Dabindu Collective
She points out that when technician comes to repair a machine, especially when it breaks down, sometimes workers has to pay sexual bribe to them, otherwise technicians do not fix the machine, and sometimes factory deduct from the worker’s salary to repair the machine.
Ms. Chamila Thushari also said that as they live in boarding rooms, they do not receive any relief in those areas, especially in cases of floods and mudslides. She points out; the C190 Convention would have been beneficial to these workers especially in this situation.
She emphasized that in one side women face domestic violence and also they are facing the problem of caring for their children due to the closure of day care centers at their workplace. She says that when this is combined with the pressure in the factories, it is inevitable that a woman will suffer from stress.
She says that absence of health counseling, at least at the institutional level, is a serious shortcoming.
She was speaking at a discussion held by the Gampaha District Human Rights First Aid Center of the Right to Life Human Rights Organization on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The event was organized by Mrs. Kusum Silva, Coordinator of Gampaha District Human Rights First Aid Center.
-Shani-