[🇧🇩] Textile & RMG Industry of Bangladesh

[Saif]

https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/bgmea-removal-non-tariff-barriers-indo-bangla-trade-3555801

BGMEA for removal of non-tariff barriers to Indo-Bangla trade​

BGMEA president meets Bangladeshi high commissioner to India

Local garment makers have requested the Bangladeshi high commission in India to actively work towards removing non-tariff barriers between the two countries in order to boost bilateral trade.

Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), made the call Wednesday during a meeting with Md Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladeshi high commissioner to India, held in New Delhi.

They also discussed existing challenges in export and import with a particular focus on non-tariff barriers, especially in the trading of textile products.

They also talked about possible solutions to address these issues, BGMEA said in a statement.
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[Saif]

Growing demand in denim item has created new opportunity

Breaking News, International News & Multimedia

thedailynewnation.com

Growing demand in denim item has created new opportunity​

1 Mar 2024, 12:00 am

Staff Reporter :

Increase in consumption of denim items internationally has created a new opportunity for Bangladesh and the local entrepreneurs are desperate to grab a share of the growing market.

The local exporters are now competing with China, Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey and Mexico as the size of the global denim is expected to stand at over $76 billion by 2026.

The entrepreneurs are showing interest in producing the items as most of the fabrics used in the denim sector are being manufactured in the country, which is popular in various countries like the USA and Europe.

The share of Bangladeshi denim in the US market is over 22 per cent and 27 per cent in the EU market. Denim shipment to the US and EU has increased by 42 per cent and 15 per cent respectively in just one year.

Following this, local entrepreneurs have invested nearly Tk 25,000 crore in the denim segment of the primary textile sector, which already has 42 modern mills capable of supplying over 900 million metres of denim fabrics each year, according to data of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA).

Syed M Tanvir, Managing Director of the Chattogram-based Pacific Jeans Ltd, told The New Nation, “We want to increase denim production by more than 12 per cent this year compared to 2023. The outlook for denim in 2024 is better than last year, so the export of denim items is expected to grow this year.”

Reaching to the current state of the sector, the entrepreneurs had to struggle hard as there was no washing plant in the country till 1984. Later, late Nasir Uddin, founder of the Pacific Jeans Ltd, set up a washing plant in Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) taking technical support of Italian buyers during the time.

As the entire work of fabric production, sewing and washing is being completed locally, lead time denim export has reduced significantly, the manufacturers said.

They further said demand for denim has been rising worldwide because of changes in fashion as the denim is more flexible and comfortable.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has set a target of apparel export worth $100 billion in 2030 and denim can play an important role in this regard.

Monsoor Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the BTMA, said that fresh investment and reinvestment in the sector was continuing as Bangladesh had already proven itself as a reliable source for denim fabrics.

Despite the fact that most mills were established over the past 10 years, they have had to increase their capacity due to demand from international clothing retailers and brands, he said.​

 

[Saif]

Apparel sector must adapt to climate crisis

Climate-adaptive measures are vital for the sector’s future

www.thedailystar.net

Apparel sector must adapt to climate crisis​

Climate-adaptive measures are vital for the sector’s future

VISUAL: STAR

We are alarmed to learn of a new study that suggests that Bangladesh could lose $27 billion in annual apparel exports by 2030, and $711 billion—or 68.5 percent of total RMG exports—by 2050 if it does not adopt a climate-adaptive approach. According to the study, climate-induced disruptions, primarily due to extreme heat and flooding, are already causing Dhaka's garment workers to miss an average of three days of work per month, incurring an income loss of Tk 1,200 to 1,500. Additionally, by 2030, up to 2.5 lakh employees are at risk of losing their jobs due to climate change. If left unaddressed, this situation could lead to billions of dollars in lost productivity and push apparel buyers to source from less climate-vulnerable countries, further jeopardising our export earnings.

We cannot underestimate the gravity of these findings and predictions. To address this situation, the study recommends embracing climate-adaptive approaches, such as by treating heat and flood events as health hazards or engaging with the investors, apparel companies, and other stakeholders to address the absence of adequate adaptation measures in their risk management strategies. Bangladesh, ranked as the seventh-most extreme disaster risk-prone country in the world, stands at the forefront of climate adversity.
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A staggering 56 percent of the population resides in high climate-exposure areas. The country already faces heightened vulnerability to child marriage, illiteracy, erosion, displacement, extreme weather, land loss, food insecurity, diseases, pollution, and other related threats. Over the past 20 years, climate change has cost Bangladesh $3.72 billion. Additionally, extreme heat exposure results in an annual loss of 254 work hours per person, translating to $280 to $311 billion in lost productivity.

Against this backdrop, we must intensify our efforts to avoid further distress. Focused regional research and adaptive strategies are crucial, alongside developing more persuasive climate justice advocacy measures to expedite effective action, including in the apparel sector. Bangladesh has taken a leading role in advocating for climate justice and collective action in the world. But we must do more, considering the ever-increasing risks we face.

 

[Saif]

'Why don't RMG owners pressurise buyers instead of workers?'

Despite the five-year minimum wage review cycle, there seems to be no preparation on the factory owners’ end

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'Why don't RMG owners pressurise buyers instead of workers?'​

'Why don't they pressurise the buyers instead of workers?'

Kalpona Akter, a labour rights activist and president of Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, discusses the ongoing protest of garment workers, their circumstances, and demands for a liveable minimum wage in an exclusive interview with Naimul Alam Alvi of The Daily Star.

Can you contextualise the latest protests by garment factory workers in Bangladesh?

The minimum wage for ready-made garment factory workers was last reviewed in 2018, when workers demanded Tk 16,000 of monthly wage. The government and RMG factory owners settled on Tk 8,000; since then, the workers have received a mandatory five percent wage increment. Even with the increment, entry-level workers currently earn only around Tk 9,000 per month.
Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have triggered a worldwide cost-of-living crisis, impacting everyone, including the RMG workers. Regardless of their wage level, workers are struggling to make ends meet, unable to afford basic necessities for themselves and their families.

Despite the five-year minimum wage review cycle, there seems to be no preparation on the factory owners' end. Their proposal should have come earlier, but instead, they belatedly offered a disrespectful proposal in late October to set the minimum wage at Tk 10,400—not even half of the workers' demand. This angered the workers, whose demand is now clear: either reduce essential commodity prices or increase wages.

But the workers' voices are being suppressed. They are being beaten by law enforcement members and goons, fired at indiscriminately, and subjected to lawsuits. Some have been arrested, creating a climate of fear among workers and labour rights activists alike.

The owners accuse the workers of conspiracy, but how is it a conspiracy when eggs cost Tk 15 apiece, onions Tk 120 per kg, and potatoes Tk 70 per kg?

How long can the police suppress the workers? The owners may not be able to "afford" Tk 23,000, but the wage certainly cannot be Tk 10,400 or even Tk 12,000. It must enable the workers to survive, buy food, pay rent, and support their families. With stagnant wages, reduced capacity to meet basic needs, and no significant growth between entry-level and skilled workers, how long will the workers suffer in silence?

Factory owners argue that they are unable to increase minimum wages or overall wages due to competitive market pressure and the need to maintain low prices. What's your perspective on that?

The factory owners claim they must produce low-cost products due to buyers' low prices. They create a competitive environment both internationally and domestically. However, Bangladesh is the world's second-largest apparel producer. If we still cannot strengthen our position and negotiate with our buyers, establishing a minimum price below which we will not go, it's disheartening. We have powerful organisations like the BGMEA and BKMEA. What do they do? Why do they foster internal competition within our sector? What is the purpose of their association then? As long as they don't learn to say no, they'll keep producing cheap clothing and claiming no profit. Yet, we see many of them expanding their businesses and building new factories. If they don't have the money, I'm at a loss as to how they find the funding to build these factories.

Why do you think factory owners redirect pressure from buyers onto workers when such demands arise, offering excuses that the buyers will not listen, rather than negotiating for better prices and subsequently better wages for the workers?

Because they can get away with putting pressure on the workers. Factory owners have embedded themselves within the government. If the legislators are the factory owners themselves, where can I go to seek justice? Where is the impartial body that will listen to the workers? The government is not neutral. A high percentage of MPs are garment factory owners. They are concerned about themselves, not the workers. Their "power" works to silence the workers, labour rights activists, and those who are part of unions. Their strategy does not include negotiating with the buyers.

Whenever there has been a movement to raise wages, the workers have been suppressed. PHOTO: AMRAN HOSSAIN

They should have met with the buyers back in 2022. They should have informed them that the workers' wages in Bangladesh would need to be increased the following year, and set a minimum price limit that the buyers must adhere to. Instead, whenever there has been a movement to raise wages, the workers have been suppressed. Cases have been filed against the protesting workers; they have been fired from their jobs, and they have been blacklisted. The factory owners have managed to do this because they have the muscle, money and administrative power, none of which the workers possess.

However, there is hope for a solution. Many of the sourcing countries are working on laws for human rights due diligence. Germany, France and the Netherlands have already enacted them, and the European Union is also going to adopt one. One of the elements of such laws is to ensure a living wage for workers. We are trying to ensure that the question of living wage covers contributing countries, so that sourcing countries cannot shake off their responsibility by saying the manufacturing countries will ensure the living wage of the workers. We are saying that no, the companies that are sourcing from manufacturing countries have to make sure that they are paying enough and that the money contributes to the living wages.

Another hope will emerge if the power is neutralised here. And to do that, you have to give the opportunity to form free unions in the factories. Only when there is an opportunity for free unions will the workers have power in collective bargaining agreements. They will be able to decide whether to accept the mandatory five percent increment or demand 10 percent, should the wage review be done every five years or should it be three years.

We see RMG workers frequently taking to the streets to demand wage increases and other improvements. Why does this have to happen so often?

The legal framework exists. The law clearly states that the owner, worker or the government can review the wage structure after three years if the inflation rate is high. It is only mandatory after five years. Workers should not need to take to the streets. The procedure should involve a wage board meeting every five years. Both parties will submit proposals, there will be discussions, and the wage will be announced.

I spoke with labour rights activists in Kerala, India; they were surprised to learn that our minimum wage review occurs every five years. They do it annually there, and workers don't have to take to the streets for it. Wage review is the owners' responsibility. They announce a wage that aligns with the inflation rate. If our neighbouring country can do it, why can't we? Why wait five years; why not review the wage every year?

Repression can never silence workers' voices or labour movements. It needs to be addressed systematically. We need to have discussions and provide workers with a platform for dialogue, such as a trade union. The second step is to move beyond the profit paradigm. If we don't include workers in profit-sharing, this backlash will continue. Calling the workers a part of the owners' families is a mere lip service if we don't believe it wholeheartedly and don't demonstrate it in our actions.​

 

[Saif]

A garment powerhouse

Walk down the road in Savar, Gazipur or Narayanganj in the morning hours and you will see a long line of workers heading to work.

www.thedailystar.net

A garment powerhouse​

A closer look at how retailers, from H&M to Walmart, turned Bangladesh into the world’s second-largest clothing supplier

Walk down the road in Savar, Gazipur or Narayanganj in the morning hours and you will see a long line of workers heading to work. They will soon join the production lines behind silent brick walls to make clothes for the world. The garment industry, home to 40 lakh workers, is one of the largest employers, fetching $47 billion in annual exports, a milestone Bangladesh crossed in 2023. Behind this growth story exists another group -- fashion retailers perpetually in pursuit of low-cost products.


After a journey of nearly five decades, Bangladesh has morphed into the second-largest garment exporter in the world after China, accounting for 7.9 percent of the global market share. It is now the mainstay of Bangladesh's economy with the sector's rapid growth and modernisation over the past decade. The transformation of the garment industry was catalysed, in part, by a series of workplace tragedies, including the Rana Plaza disaster that took the lives of more than 1,100 workers. In those dark days, retailers stayed with Bangladesh in a push for workplace compliance. The groundbreaking International Accord that made jobs safer for millions of garment workers in Bangladesh was later extended to Pakistan.​

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Photo: Saurav Hossain Siam

It is now expected that Bangladesh's share in the global market will continue to grow. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) aims to capture 12 percent of the international market share by 2026 when Bangladesh is scheduled to graduate from the group of the least-developed countries. That partly depends on the retailers' appetite for Bangladesh as the nation will lose most of the duty benefits after LDC graduation.

Initially, Bangladesh's garment industry grew under a quota system introduced by an international trade agreement, known as the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA), in 1974. The MFA, which persisted until January 2005, imposed quotas on the amount of clothing and textiles that developing countries could export to developed nations. Thanks to the agreement, the garment sector found a niche in the market for many years and continued to thrive.


However, the main role was played by the buyers, who flocked to Bangladesh to source clothing items at competitive prices.

With local garment makers working under the cutting and making (CM) method, the onus was on the buyers to play the vital role of supplying designs, patterns, fabrics and raw materials. The CM method, which involves costs of cutting, sewing, pressing, folding and packing, is still popular in Bangladesh, with suppliers mainly doing so to avert risks.

Photo: Saurav Hossain Siam

In the late 1970s and mid-1980s, buyers used to place orders in small quantities and the sales of garment items were mainly facilitated by third-party vendors because the size and scale of businesses were so small that international retailers and brands were uninterested in placing direct orders.


However, with time, major retailers and brands, especially from Europe and the US, started arriving here and directly purchasing goods. About 50 of them now have liaison offices in Bangladesh, allowing them to buy garment items at competitive prices. By and large, Bangladesh has proven itself as a reliable supplier of value-added garment items while also growing by leaps and bounds in design and pattern-making.

Bangladesh cemented its position during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic when it kept its factories open except for the initial few months of the health crisis in 2020 while factories in all other supplying nations were shut for many months at a stretch.

Of the $47 billion worth of exports of garment items last year, the lion's share was shipped through a direct purchasing method by retailers and brands. With direct sales, both buyers and suppliers benefit as no third party shares the profit. However, many small buyers, who can't afford an overseas office, still rely on third-party vendors.

Swedish retail giant H&M is the largest buyer of Bangladeshi clothes, purchasing items worth nearly $4 billion annually. The country is also the single largest sourcing destination for H&M, which has its own office in Dhaka.

US retail giant, Walmart, is the second-biggest buyer of Bangladeshi apparel, procuring nearly $2.5 billion worth of products a year. It was the largest buyer for the country for many years before ceding the top spot to H&M in recent years.

Spanish company Inditex, which owns brands like Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home, buys nearly $2 billion worth of garment items from Bangladesh every year.

Shafiur Rahman, regional operations manager of G-Star in Bangladesh, said Bangladesh will remain an important sourcing destination for his company in future. G-Star Raw, a Dutch designer clothing company, buys nearly $1 billion worth of garments, including denim and T-shirts, from Bangladesh a year.

Photo: Saurav Hossain Siam

"We will keep sourcing the same amount of clothing in 2024, anticipating slight growth in the fourth quarter onward," said Rahman.

British retail giant M&S procures more than $2 billion annually from Bangladesh. Japan's Uniqlo has turned into nearly a billion-dollar buyer. Of the $1.6 billion worth of garment items exported to Japan last year, the majority was secured by the Japanese retailer alone.

Japan has remained a major destination for Bangladesh since 2011, when Tokyo started allowing zero-duty benefits to the LDCs for garment items and knitted items, even if they are made from imported fabrics.

Photo: Saurav Hossain Siam

With such a major trade benefit in place, Japanese clothing retailers started clamouring to Bangladesh and thus Japan became the largest export destination for the country in Asia.

Irish retail giant Primark has ramped up purchases, with their annual purchases now valued at nearly $2 billion.

Puma, Nike, PDS, Adidas, Gap, Levi Strauss & Co, VF Corporation, PVH Corporation, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Sainsbury's, Esprit, and C&A are some other major buyers, with each buying nearly $1 billion worth of clothes from Bangladesh a year.

The sourcing pattern from Bangladesh has also changed a lot over the years because of the changing habits of buyers and consumers, and the sales of retailers and brands.

Many top retailers and brands source garment items in small quantities but at higher prices. For instance, Hugo Boss, a German luxury fashion brand, procures garment items worth a few hundred million.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh uses more manmade fibres to make garments for global buyers

The use of non-cotton fibre in garment production in Bangladesh has increased to 29 percent from 25 percent in the last three years as exporters go for diversification for better prices and to expand their global footprint, according to a new study.

www.thedailystar.net

Bangladesh uses more manmade fibres to make garments for global buyers​

Study finds

Photo: Star

The use of non-cotton fibre in garment production in Bangladesh has increased to 29 percent from 25 percent in the last three years as exporters go for diversification for better prices and to expand their global footprint, according to a new study.

Varun Vaid, business director of Wazir Advisors Pvt Ltd, shared the findings at a press conference on the premises of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in Dhaka today. He conducted the study on behalf of the BGMEA in the last two years.

Globally non-cotton fibre is used in 75 percent of garment manufacturing. In contrast, Bangladesh relies on cotton fibres to make 71 percent of the country's export-oriented products.
However, Bangladesh has more potential to use non-cotton fibre as the demand for manmade fibre garments is on the rise globally, according to the study.

If Bangladesh invests $18 billion, the country will be able to export $46 billion worth of non-cotton garment items by 2032, it said.

Speaking at the event, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said that by using manmade fibres, the BGMEA wants to raise the global market share of locally made apparel items to 12 percent from 7.87 percent now since the prices are higher for the products made from artificial fibres.

He said climate change also has a major impact on fashion as consumers prefer non-cotton garment items to cotton items because of more functionality and sustainability.
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"Local garment exporters are producing cotton garment items. By just increasing the volume of non-cotton products, we can expand to more markets and get better prices."

 

[Saif]

Non-cotton RMG exports could rise to $42b by 2032: study

Bangladesh’s non-cotton apparel exports could increase to $42 billion by 2032 from the existing $15.6 billion with the support of a fully...

www.newagebd.net

Non-cotton RMG exports could rise to $42b by 2032: study
Fully integrated value chain needed to make it happen

Staff Correspondent | Published: 22:09, Mar 03,2024


A file photo shows workers sewing clothes at a readymade garment factory at Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka. — New Age photo

Bangladesh’s non-cotton apparel exports could increase to $42 billion by 2032 from the existing $15.6 billion with the support of a fully integrated value chain with investments worth $18 billion, according to a recent study.


The study titled ‘Beyond Cotton: A Strategic Blueprint for Fibre Diversification’ said that the share of non-cotton apparel exports from Bangladesh was lesser than cotton apparel exports, but it was increasing rapidly in the global trade.


Over the past five years, there has been a notable surge in global non-cotton fibre production, capturing an impressive 78 per cent share of the total fibre production, it mentioned saying that in contrast, cotton fibre production had faced a decline in the same period.

Under the support of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Indian research firm Wazir Advisors Pvt Ltd conducted the research.

The BGMEA on Sunday launched the report at a press conference held at the headquarters of the trade body at Uttara in the capital Dhaka.


The study found that Bangladesh’s cotton apparel exports exhibited a high concentration, primarily focusing on four categories, including t-shirts, jerseys and woven trousers that collectively commanded a significant 63 per cent share.

As Bangladesh approaches graduation from the least developed country status in 2026 and the government and industry leaders are negotiating to extend the duty-free market access in the global market up to 2032, the country should aim to achieve a sustained double-digit growth rate in non-cotton apparel exports, aspiring to increase the earnings to $42 billion, it said.

To realise this vision, the report recommended developing a dedicated policy for the non-cotton industry, encompassing a clearly defined vision, mission and actionable points that specifically address the key challenges of insufficient technical know-how and limited upstream capacities.

It also estimated that an investment of approximately $18 billion in the area of yarn, fabric and garment manufacturing would be required to forge a fully integrated value chain that aligns with the aspirations set for the Vision 2032.

The report also showed that the investment would create additional employment of over 1.8 million.

The report also identified lack of technical know-how and limited upstream capacities as the key challenges for establishing a non-cotton value chain in Bangladesh.

Varun Vaid, business director of Wazir Advisors Pvt Ltd, presented the key findings of the study at the press conference.

He said that globally the use of non-cotton fibre was 75 per cent, but in Bangladesh the picture was just reverse as the local apparel makers used 71 per cent cotton fibre for making garment.


BGMEA president Faruque Hassan said that they wanted to take the global market share of locally made apparel to 12 per cent from the existing 7.87 per cent by using the non-cotton fibre as the prices of the products made with man-made fibre was higher than the cotton made items.

The choice of consumers has also changed and they prefer durable and sustainable products, he said.

Once the country graduates to a developing one, the government could not provide cash incentive for the sector, but the government incentive would be needed in different forms in establishing a non-cotton value chain in the country, the BGMEA president said.

Regarding the recent price hike of power, Faruque said that it would increase the cost of production, fuel inflation and hamper the growth of apparel sector.

He urged the government to withdraw the decision on increasing the price hike of electricity.

BGMEA director Asif Ashraf and former director Shovon Islam, among others, spoke at the press conference.​

 

[Saif]

Principles and the apparel sector

A VERY large number of women in Bangladesh have found employment in the readymade garment factories in Bangladesh, and there...

www.newagebd.net

Principles and the apparel sector​

Published: 00:00, Mar 08,2024

The root cause of why women are held back from becoming truly empowered anywhere needs to be addressed as well. Social change is required, and respect for gender, qualification, and education all need to come in a single package, writes Saira Rahman Khan

A VERY large number of women in Bangladesh have found employment in the readymade garment factories in Bangladesh, and there is little doubt that they have been seen as the success story for women’s empowerment in the country, supported by countless research and studies. To be empowered, women and girls must have the agency to use their rights, capabilities, resources, and opportunities to make strategic choices and decisions (UNICEF, 2017). Generally speaking, it is still a challenge for women from rural or poor economic conditions in Bangladesh to find ‘empowerment’. It is also seen that, despite the barriers, women are a part of the work and labour force of Bangladesh, especially in the RMG sector. Do these places of employment act as arenas of empowerment? According to UN Women, there were almost 5,000 ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh, contributing to the biggest export earning sector (80.7 per cent of the total export earnings) in the financial year of 2017 (UN Women, 2018). Women comprise 60–70 per cent of the RMG workforce, but with a low literacy level, little knowledge, and little control over their working conditions (UN Women, 2018).

In 2011, UN Women published a guideline on empowering women to participate in economic life in the workplace, market, etc. with the purpose of building strong economies. The guideline is called ‘The Women’s Empowerment Principles’ and consists of a set of principles for business offering guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace, and community. They are the result of a collaboration between the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Global Compact. The principle’s emphasis is on the business case for corporate action to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment and is informed by real-life business practices and input gathered from across the globe.’ There are seven principles in total: Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality; Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work — respect and support human rights and non-discrimination; Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all women and men workers; Principle 4: Promote education, training, and professional development for women; Principle 5: Implement enterprise development, supply chain, and marketing practices that empower women; Principle 6: Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy; and Principle 7: Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality. Have RMG industries adhered to these principles? Although all seven of the principles are vital for success, the focus of this paper will be on Principles 2, 3, and 4, as these seem to contain the most basic rights needed to provide empowerment opportunities for women workers in the RMG sector.

The second Women’s Empowerment Principle deals with the issues of fair treatment, non-discrimination, and respect for human rights. Islam (2018) has identified four types of gender-based discrimination in the RMG factory: gender division of labour, discrimination as regards promotions and service benefits, wage discrimination, and discrimination when in a leadership position. According to research conducted by the International Labor Organisation in 2020, 84 per cent of women workers in the RMG sector are in low grades, compared to 68 per cent of men. The research further found that from 2010 to 2018, the proportion of surveyed women in most managerial positions declined, and their overall average representation in such roles remained low and unchanged between 2010 and 2018 (approximately 9 percent). This indicates no improvements in enhancing women’s representation in managerial and leadership positions in the RMG sector in the past decade (ILO, 2020). An earlier 2018 study shows that the ratio of male to female professionals at the managerial and HR managerial levels is 190:1 and 176:17, respectively (CPD-RMG Study, 2017–2018). Thus portraying huge gender imbalances in these levels of RMG sectors. Women are further limited to ‘unskilled’ or’semi-skilled’ job categories in the garment factory; the reward they receive is neither up to their level of investment in labour and time nor is it equal to that of their male counterparts (Sharma 2020). According to the ILO study, the RMG industry tends to rely on low-paid female labour to compete and maximise profits in a highly competitive global market (ILO 2020). This statement alone shows how deliberately discriminatory this industrial sector is.

Tasks in the RMG factories are generally distributed based on gender in Bangladesh’s garments sector, and most of the working circumstances for women employees are determined by this (ILO, 2020). Most typically, women work as helpers, machinists, and, less frequently, as line supervisors and quality controllers (Ahmed, 2023). From data collected within factories, four out of every five production line workers are female, while just one in twenty supervisors is a woman (Heath, Mobarak 2014). Rahman (2022) writes that the percentage of women in managerial positions in the RMG sector has increased from 6 per cent to 12 per cent. This has been due to some training initiatives supported by international organizations. However, according to Ahmed (2023), access to managerial positions and higher-paying white-collar jobs is discriminated against for women. She further writes that as the burden of household work disproportionately falls more on women, the number of workers they can dedicate to work is also lower. Thereby, they also have a lesser inclination to opt for management positions (Ahmed, 2023). Meaning that due to the fact that women have to manage the bulk and burden of housework, they are less inclined to attempt managerial positions and opt for lower-paying work due to time constraints and the pressures and challenges of housebound activities.

As to payment, it is not globally uncommon that women in many sectors receive less pay than men. Farber (2017) gives three reasons for this: the ‘penalty’ of motherhood, the inability to negotiate ‘the right way’ and how they are treated when attempting to negotiate, and employer bias, where the employer knowingly or unknowingly undervalues a woman’s work. Women RMG workers in Bangladesh face all three of these hurdles. As seen, factories prefer to keep women in jobs that pay less. A 2021 study on the gender wage gap that used the administrative records of over 80,000 workers in 70 RMG factories in Bangladesh found an overall wage gap of 20 per cent of which more than half was due to the ‘overwhelming’ predominance of men in managerial roles (Menzel, Woodruff, 2021). In factory areas where women are a majority of the workers, such as in the sewing/floor areas, the same study found that the wage gap was 8 per cent. As regards impending motherhood and maternity leave, one study shows that the women workers’ knowledge of maternity leave and maternity benefits was inadequate, as was the accommodation provided by factories for pregnant workers (Awaj, 2019). In March 2021, it was reported that the IndustryAll Bangladesh Council had demanded from those in charge an assurance of six months of full-paid maternity leave for all female workers. The fact that this is still an issue shows that women are still being discriminated against for ‘motherhood’ in the 21st century.

The third Principle deals with ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all workers. Workplace hazards can be broadly divided into five groups: (a) ergonomic hazards; (b) physical hazards; (c) psychological hazards; (d) mechanical hazards; and (e) chemical hazards (Raihan, Chowdhury 2023). According to Kabir (2019), it is ‘evident that RMG workers in South and Southeast Asia are the most affected by the unhygienic and unsafe nature of their workplace conditions’. In 2017, the ILO conducted a baseline survey on RMG workers with the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling. It studied the lives of 2,184 workers from 111 RMG factories and found that the three most pressing health issues the workers suffered from were thirst (68.5 per cent), hunger (53.2 per cent), and headaches (43.63 per cent) and that 7.05 per cent suffered long-term illnesses such as gastric ulcers and joint pains (Raihan et al. 2019). Another similar survey, conducted by ActionAid in 2019, of 200 women workers found that 90 per cent had experienced negative health impacts at work. These included exhaustion (78 per cent), severe back pain (57 per cent), and injuries to hands and feet (46 per cent), eyesight issues (36 per cent) (ActionAid, 2019).

‘Health, safety, and well-being’ can definitely extend to mental health and well-being. Given the discrepancies in the treatment of male and female workers, it is clear that women are already suffering some level of stress in the factory workplace. However, there is another side to this that has direct links to patriarchy, discrimination, and the poor treatment of women. This is sexual harassment and violence, and it is widely reported that women RMG workers face both. These contribute to the lack of empowerment opportunities for women in the RMG sector. In 2023, a Solidarity Centre report identified the kinds of gender-based violence female RMG workers suffer. The study showed that 45 per cent workers faced sexual harassment and violence, 22 per cent psychological, 17 per cent verbal abuse, 9 per cent economic and 7 per cent physical abuse and violence. Moreover, 89 per cent of the women in the study said that they had mental breakdowns due to such experiences, while 83 per cent said they had lost interest in their jobs. It is quite obvious that sexual harassment in the RMG workplace is a continuous violation, and its consequences leave both physical and mental pain and negate any opportunities for empowerment.

The fourth Principle towards empowerment is to provide women with training, education, and professional development. In 1978, 130 trainees were sent to South Korea from Bangladesh to embark on a training programme on how the RMG industry is run and how garments are manufactured. Eighteen of the 130 trainees were women (Khan, 2015). Today, training for female RMG workers is conducted in Bangladesh, mainly conducted and financed by international organisations, based on the recognition that women workers have low literacy levels and little control over their working conditions (H&M Foundation, 2020; UN Women Asia-Pacific). Training is also necessary to ensure that women are able to cope with the possibilities of automatons replacing them in the production line. Training is, however, not consistent across factories. A study of 111 factories conducted by SANEM (2019) for the ILO shows that introductory training of workers is either not carried out or is incomplete or improperly conducted in many factories. The same study shows that a majority of those who have received such training are male workers. But what about women’s training for managerial levels in the factory? For their professional development? Are there women in leadership positions on the factory floor? According to Islam and Jantan (2017), ‘In Bangladesh, the majority of the top managers are male, as evidenced by the report of the ILO (2015), which found women hold only 5.4 per cent leading positions in the organisations. Some reasons for this were highlighted in a study conducted by Matsuura’s (2020) and included the fact that supervisors or line chiefs are required to work overtime after regular working hours, and women had to go home and do housework and tend to children; women feared losing friends and peers if they advanced to supervisory roles; men were unable to accept the fact that women would be their supervisors; and women lack confidence in their abilities to manage male workers. Patriarchal traits of control, dominance, and position are clearly seen in the above reasons.

It is quite clear that what mainly drives the choice to work in the RMG sector is financial necessity. After a study of the lives of 17 female RMG workers, Al Mamun et al. (2022) surmised that paid RMG employment in Bangladesh has significant positive impacts on female workers’ economic, social, and psychological empowerment. Their findings also pointed to the suggestion that female RMG workers have gained economic capacity, along with some autonomy, freedom of mobility, increased decision-making power, a greater sense of self-esteem, job skills and experience, and consciousness about their rights to make choices (Al Mamun, Hoque, 2022). Despite the positive impacts, the ‘curse’ of patriarchy loomed over the workers private lives, as shown by the 2022 study, which highlights the fact that: salaries were kept by some of the women in a common family fund and some women had to seek the permission of their husband’s before sending money to help their parents; despite working long hours, some women states that they had to do all the housework alone; some women had to leave their children behind with family members in the village because of the long working hours; some women stated that people back in their village were defaming them for working outside the home; and that women with low levels of education were not moving up the ladder.

A recent study supported by the German agency GTZ shows that in 2021, only 53.65 per cent of garment workers were women (Rahman et al., 2023). In 2023, a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics survey reported that the number of women RMG workers had declined by 10.68 per cent in the span of four years. The same study quotes that the number of female workers makes up 46.18 per cent of the workforce. This is a significant drop in numbers. This shows that although women have been enticed into financial freedom from RMG factories, they have not been able to find the atmosphere or means by which they may be truly empowered in their professional lives either. When garment industries commenced work in the 1980’s, employment opportunities were very limited for women from lower income groups (Rahman et al., 2023). As a result, the number of female workers was high.

What is required for ‘empowerment’? According to Papa Seck, chief of the UN Women’s Research and Data Section, ‘There is no empowerment without rights, so women’s empowerment needs to be anchored in human rights, which provide a universal framework for monitoring. For women to be empowered, they need resources, respect, and a voice. This requires redressing women’s socioeconomic disadvantage, addressing stereotyping, stigma, and violence, and strengthening women’s agency, voice, and participation.’ Putting this all into the framework of women workers in the RMG sector, we see that though women are working and seeking employment, this may be an exercise of their rights, or it may be something that is forced upon them by a father or husband. It may be that they had no choice in the matter. Regardless of whether it is an exercise of their individual right to work, they are still not treated with respect and dignity in the workplace, their resources as regards wages and healthcare remain inadequate, and they have no guarantee of long-term employment. As regards the addressing and redressing of stereotypes, stigma, and violence— and even socioeconomic disadvantages — these issues go far beyond the factory walls and boundaries. These challenge patriarchy and the social structure as a whole. You can take a male factory manager or lineman out of the factory, but you cannot take the patriarchal mindset out of him.

Verbal and sexual abuse, the lack of promotion of qualified women workers, unequal pay, unhygienic conditions for women workers, and the reluctance towards pregnant and new mothers — all point towards a greater, social problem that, unless addressed, will never allow women to find empowerment. Even when they are home, women RMG workers need to do all the housework and even suffer domestic violence. Women are leaving the factories due to conditions that in no way enable them to continue work outside the home. These issues show that women have yet to break the bonds of patriarchy, despite finding employment and, perhaps, economic freedom.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’. What then needs to be done to make the RMG sector a safe space for women’s empowerment? There is no doubt that empowerment is required for progress. There has to be recognition from factory owners, factory management, and definitely foreign buyers that women workers are not merely dispensable parts of the factory, working to benefit only buyers and owners. The guidelines of the Women’s Empowerment Principles need to be followed and mechanisms put in place to ensure full implementation for the benefit of all women workers. This can only be done if women RMG workers are given the respect, security, and facilities they deserve in order to work with dignity. However, that is definitely not enough. The root cause of why women are held back from becoming truly empowered anywhere needs to be addressed as well. Social change is required, and respect for gender, qualification, and education all need to come in a single package. Given that patriarchy is firmly entrenched in the very fibre of Bangladeshi society, challenging patriarchy needs to be done in small doses, and it is the responsibility of families, workplaces, educational institutions, and the government to ensure these steps are implemented. Merely showing data on how many women are employed in various public sectors or are enrolled in academic institutions in no way means that women have been empowered or that they are not facing any social or familial backlash.

Saira Rahman Khan is a professor of law, BRAC University.​