Female agro laborers work proudly in haor areas

In most of the areas of the country, male laborers are seen working on the agricultural sector. But it's different in haor region, where female agro-laborers are working with their male counterparts. 

This reporter recently visited Austagram haor areas in Kishoreganj district where he found female laborers working on preparing seedbeds for Boro paddy. 

As the flood water receded from haor lands few days ago, it is high time to plant paddy seedlings. Agro laborers including women are now busy with this work. 

The women of Kaibatpara of Pawn village under Austagram upazila work on paddy fields years after years. Though most of them are widowed, they are hardworking and self-dependent. 

Panna Bala, a female labor said, she started working on paddy fields 25 years ago when her husband was alive. "We were going through extreme hardship ... my husband used to catch fish in the river, but he earned too little to maintain a family of five members. That's why, I started working on paddy fileds with other women of my community," she said. 

Another woman named Shibasisher Ma, (people call this name as her son's name is Shibashis) said she works on paddy fields during Boro season with other women. 

Though her family is not well-off, she works for supporting her husband Rakhesh to maintain the family with a smooth manner. 

The young woman said not only for earning money, she works on making contribution to her family. "I feel proud that I became self-reliant by working as an agro-laborer in paddy fields," she said.

"These women agro laborers will work till the harvest period ... alongside male laborers, they will harvest the standing paddy in the early summer," said farmer Nazrul Islam who always hires these women for his paddy fields. 

Local union parishad member Mujaheed Bhuiyan told this correspondent that, women day-laborers in the area have become a blessing for the haor areas. 

He said the number of agro day-laborers is decreasing day by day as village people are used to go to cities for better income. "In this case, these women laborers are contributing much to our agricultural sector. But they are paid less their male counterparts," Bhuiyan lamented. 

Source: bss