Bangladesh’s failure to protect its sanitation workers is compounding gender, caste, and economic inequalities amid the global climate crisis, Amnesty International said Thursday.
In a new report, Left Behind in the Storm: Dalit Women Sanitation Workers and the Fight for Water and Dignity, Amnesty said Dalit women in the coastal districts of Khulna and Satkhira face extreme hardship accessing safe water and sanitation, earning as little as 3,000 to 8,000 taka ($25–65) a month. Many lack household water connections and must rely on unsafe pond or rainwater, leading to health problems.
Amnesty found these workers are largely invisible in Bangladesh’s climate and water policies, despite being among the most affected by rising sea levels, floods, and cyclones. The group urged Dhaka to adopt a national anti-discrimination law, collect caste-disaggregated data, and include Dalit women in decision-making on climate adaptation.