Dignifying Sanitation Workers Lives For Achieving SDG 6.2

FSM Network Bangladesh arranged a dialogue on “Dignifying Sanitation Workers’ Lives for Achieving SDG 6.2.” on 17^th October at ITN-BUET. In this dialogue, various stakeholders took part, including policymakers, local and international NGOs, government representatives, sanitation workers, and private businesses. In the first session, called “See how we are doing,” sanitation workers from all over the country shared their successes, challenges, complaints, and issues. They asked policymakers to come up with ways to make their lives better. In the following sessions, policymakers and other important people didn’t just give speeches but had meaningful discussions. They promised to work together to find solutions according to what they could do. Dr. Shawkat A. Begum, the Country Director of Practical Action, welcomed the sanitation workers and special guests on behalf of the Bangladesh FSM Network. She said, “It’s our job as the secretariat to find and fix problems in policies and support the government. Our aim is to make sure that the lives and jobs of sanitation workers in Bangladesh become better and more respected.” The chief guest of the event was MD. Emdadul Hoq Chowdhury, Joint Secretary, Policy Support Branch (PSB), Local Government Division. Special Guests included Md. Bellal Hossen Sheikh, Director, Department of Labour; Julia Jesmin, Joint Inspector General (Health Division), Head Office, Dhaka, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE); Md. Ashrafuzzaman, Executive Director (Joint Secretary), Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA); Md. Shafiqul Hassan, Co-chair, CWIS FSM Support Cell & Project Director, UIIDF (Urban Infrastructure Improvement Facilities Project, DPHE; and Mst. Hajera Khatun, Joint Secretary, Labour Section, Ministry of Labour and Employment. One of the sessions was moderated by Ms Ratna, a sanitation worker (one of the project partners). Different sessions of the event were led by Uttam Kumar Saha, Strategy Lead at Practical Action; Alauddin Ahamder, Project Manager at ITN-BUET; and Sudeshna Bishwash, Documentation Officer at NGO Forum. The whole event was facilitated by Maromitaj Islam Pingki, Gender and Inclusion Officer at Practical Action.