FE Report
Challenges such as traditional gender norms, inadequate childcare, pregnancy issues, limited job security, and age barriers hinder the long-term career prospects of female garment workers, resulting in a gradual decline in their participation in the apparel industry.
The male-to-female worker ratio in the country's ready-made garment industry has been declining over the years and now stands at less than 55 per cent, Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said at a dialogue held at a city hotel on Monday.
Terming women's significant participation in the RMG sector a 'bright exception', he said the female-male ratio is still higher than the national female-male ratio of 35:65.
Dr Moazzem said this in his keynote paper presented at the dialogue on 'Sustainable Future for Women in the Readymade Garment Sector' jointly organised by USAID's Women Thrive in Bangladesh project implemented by Care Bangladesh.
Presided over by Ramesh Singh, Regional Director, CARE Asia, the programme was attended by Blair King, Deputy Director of USAID's Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance; and Bushra Binte Baten, Corporate Responsibility Manager, PVH Corp.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), consistently from 1980 to 1994, reported that the proportion of women labour had been 80 per cent which, according to different studies, fell to 58 per cent in 2020.
Mr Moazzem identified other factors such as excessive workload, harassment, low wages, misbehaviour, physical violence, skill gaps between men and women, educational differences, and automation for declining participation of female workers in the RMG sector and both workers and factory management endorsed those reasons.
These findings indicate that internal workplace issues were more significant than external factors and addressing these challenges could enhance the retention of female workers, he said.
This decline not only impacted the economic empowerment and overall well-being of women, but also posed challenges for global brands operating in Bangladesh and the government's development agenda.
With the increased use of automated machinery in different sections, there are mixed effects on women's participation and their share have decreased in cutting and sewing but risen in finishing, packaging, and printing, Dr Moazzem said.
He suggested arranging specialised training programs for different management professionals to help reduce such harassment and retention of female workers.
The discussion moderated by Aamanur Rahman, Chief of Party, USAID's Thrive Activity, also highlighted the importance of creating a supportive work environment for women workers in the ready-made garment sector by providing more resources and assistance to sustain their employment.
Mohammed Hatem, President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said the industry cannot afford to provide living wages unless global buyers come forward.
He alleged that buyers are offering prices below production costs, and they are forced to accept work orders only to keep their businesses running and to pay their workers.
He urged buyers to adopt ethical business practices, saying that only these can ensure workers' rights and other lawful benefits.
Vidiya Amrit Khan, Deputy Managing Director, Desh Group of Companies and former director of BGMEA, and Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Executive Director Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), also spoke.
[email protected]
