The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on the Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) industry. In recent years, it has been the driving force of the country’s economy, accounting for
80 per cent of its export earnings.
Revenue generated by RMG factories was a key factor in predictions that Bangladesh would reach middle-income status by 2021. However, with the arrival of COVID-19, it is no exaggeration to say that the industry has ‘fallen off a cliff’ as many factories have closed and cannot pay wages.
Orders worth USD 3.17 billion have been cancelled or suspended, threatening the employment and financial security of millions of workers – the majority of whom are women. Media reports suggest that by June 2020, 70,000 workers had lost their jobs and up to one million jobs were likely to remain at risk until the end of the year.
While many factories began gradual re-opening in late April 2020, others remain closed, and the medium to long-term consequences of the crisis remain unclear.
The gravity of the crisis has prompted this report which assesses how the pandemic is affecting the situation of workers and their children linked to two factory-based UNICEF programmes in Bangladesh: Mothers@Work and Better Business for Children (BB4C).
To prepare this assessment, discussions were held with a number of RMG partners who implement the Mothers@Work and BB4C initiatives, as well as other partners. Senior and midlevel management staff were also consulted for insights about the scope of new interventions and reprogramming needed if various partners are to deliver on their core commitments. The focus of the discussions was the impact of the crisis on the rights of children, especially those connected with the largely female workforce in big and medium-sized garment factories.
Learn more: https://rmgbd.net/817647279/
