Breaking barriers: Women RMG workers' fight for economic independence

When Taslima Akter, a garment factory worker, noticed advanced new machines on the factory floor, she was determined to learn how to operate them. 

She knew that mastering these advanced machines could lead to promotions and salary increases. However, when she signed up for training, she encountered strong opposition from her family. 

Her mother-in-law questioned whether she would be able to manage household chores if she stayed late for training, and neighbours expressed disapproval of her returning home after dark. 

Jannat, another worker, struggles to balance her demanding garment job with household chores. 

Her husband's lack of understanding about the weight of her daily responsibilities has led to miscommunication and a growing lack of trust in their relationship.

Such scenes are playing out across the readymade garment sector as the industry undergoes significant transformations, including automation and consolidation. Workers, particularly women, are being forced to balance professional demands and upskilling needs against societal pressures and familial expectations.

The readymade garment sector is a cornerstone of the Bangladeshi economy, contributing significantly to GDP and employing roughly four million people, primarily women. However, the sector is experiencing rapid change, coinciding with a decline in the percentage of women in the workforce. 

While women historically dominated the workforce, their representation has decreased - from around 90% in the 1990s to roughly 60%. 

With men increasingly occupying higher-skilled roles, this shift poses significant challenges for women's economic empowerment.

The decline in the proportion of women workers has the potential to have major economic and social consequences, as no other sector in Bangladesh formally employs so many women. 

Research has shown that women garment workers use their income to invest in their children's education and food and that they save their hard-earned money for family welfare.

While women still make up the majority of the RMG workforce in Bangladesh, their roles are increasingly concentrated in lower-skilled, lower-paid positions such as sewing and finishing. 

Men, conversely, are increasingly employed in higher-skilled roles like cutting, knitting, and dyeing. This gendered division of labour is further exacerbated by limited female representation in management and supervisory positions, with only 4% of factory managers and less than 10% of supervisors being women (ILO, 2019). 

At the same time, the perception that technical roles are "male domains" further reinforces gender-based barriers and hinders women's access to higher-skilled, higher-paying jobs.

A Knowledge Attitudes and Practices study, carried out by the Center for Communication Action Bangladesh as part of the Oporajita initiative, supported by the H&M Foundation, unearthed some of the barriers that prevent women RMG workers from competing on equal terms with men in the quest for socioeconomic empowerment.

The study revealed prevalent bias and patriarchal attitudes towards working women, particularly garment workers. Many women workers internalise such stereotypes, undermining their confidence in pursuing leadership or technical positions. 

Approximately 75% of garment workers viewed men as more competent managers and technicians. Most respondents, including both the workers and their families, primarily saw women as homemakers. Nearly half of the workers considered women to be followers rather than leaders. 

The main factors limiting women's roles in the workforce included domestic responsibilities (55%), gender-based violence (27%), and workplace discrimination (24.3%).

Farjia Ahmed, Senior Program Officer at Center for Communication Action Bangladesh

Ahnaf Tahmid, Program Coordinator, The Asia Foundation

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.