Asia Garment Hub
Guide: Where are all the Women? Study on the Decline of Women Workers in the Textile Industry in Bangladesh
There are 26% fewer women working in the Bangladesh garment industry than in the 1980s when women made up 80% of the workforce. Where have they gone and why? Discover the factors influencing the decline and the implications for both women's empowerment and the Bangladesh apparel industry in this fascinating study. First published on Asia Garment Hub in January 2023.
Who the guide is for:
- Sustainability managers at brands and suppliers.
- Policy-makers, unions and civil society organisations.
- Anyone interested in gender issues in apparel supply chains.
This guide will help you to:
- Understand the factors affecting the decline in women in the RMG workforce.
- Learn the implications of declining proportion of women garment workers.
- Take action using recommendations tailored to brands, suppliers/supplier associations, trade unions, civil society organisations and government.
What the guide covers:
- It provides quantitative that provides an important insight into the scale of the issue.
- And qualitative data that provides real insights into the women's lives documented in the study and the reasons for entering and leaving the RMG workforce.
- The facts and figures detailing the downward trend in women's employment within the RMG sector.
- The societal, cultural and workplace influences that have contributed to this decline.
About this guide:
This guide was authored by BRAC University, published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
and funded by GIZ and the Ethical Trading Initiative.
