Garment industry has socially empowered women workers in Bangladesh to have better control over their own lives, while it has brought newer forms of vulnerability to them, especially in their work and living environment, according to study The study tilted “Vulnerable Empowerment: Capacities and Vulnerabilities of Female Garments Workers in Bangladesh” was released at a function in Dhaka yesterday, organised by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad. Ayesha Khanam, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, presided over the function. Zahid ul Arefin Choudhury, associate professor of Peace and Conflict at the University of Dhaka, Samina Luthfa, assistant professor of Sociology at the University of Dhaka, and Kaberi Gayen, professor of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka, jointly conducted the research. According to the findings, 60%-70% workers think their lives have improved due to employments in the garment industry. The women workers who are 26 years old or more, widow and illiterate are the most vulnerable, the study said. The workers are satisfied with those factories that are structurally safe and most of the workers said the workplace safety is better now than earlier. “Garment sector has brought significant changes, both economically and socially, to the lives of rural women, However, this is normal that workers in all industries may have vulnerabilities. But we have to consider how much the coping-up capacity has increased,” said Mustafa K Mujeri, executive director of the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development, speaking on the research paper. He added: “It is not possible to end women deprivation only through economic empowerment. We have to change our male chauvinistic attitude.” Economist and ex-adviser to a caretaker government, Wahiduddin Mahmud said garment industry is an alternative mean of women empowerment. “Through this industry, rural women get an identity and opportunity to lead an independent life. Living standard of workers has improved, but due to some vulnerabilities, it cannot be described as a big one.” He said the workers still have to work for additional hours to meet family expenses and remain in pressure. Wahiduddin Mahmud laid emphasis on workers’ training to increase their productivity and efficiency, which in turn can help owners raise wages. Nazneen Ahmed, senior research fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, said there should have a clarification on vulnerabilities as the competitors of Bangladesh will take it as an opportunity to downgrade Bangladesh. In her feedback to the book, she said: “There are vulnerabilities in other industries too. So, we can better understand if there are comparisons with other sectors in this respect.” The research was conducted on the basis of two questions: Are the women garment workers vulnerable? and Have the women garment workers gained capability? The research has broadly focused on theses issues based on the interview of 1,014 garment workers. The garment industry in Bangladesh is perceived both as an empowering sector as well as a sector cursed with accidents and deaths. The literature shows immense vulnerabilities in the lives of women who work in the sector.
