Women workers make up majority of Bangladesh’s apparel sector, significantly contributing to the country’s export earnings. Despite their vital role in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry, they face persistent challenges, including low wages, limited leadership opportunities, and inadequate social security. Additionally, beyond common workplace challenges, many women workers experience gender-based violence (GBV) both at work and in their living environments. Unable to ensure a friendly workplace environment, many of the women are leaving their jobs and the number of women workers in RMG industry is declining day by day.

According to a recent study, the proportion of women employed in Bangladesh’s garment sector has declined over the previous ten years, from 56 percent in 2014 to 53 percent in 2023 (Daily Star, 2024). Alongside, wage disparities, insufficient maternity benefits and childcare facilities, poor working conditions and weak enforcement of Labour law and policies are also working behind the shrinking of women workers. According to the ILO conventions, the conventions 45, 59 and 89 are for the protection of women workers, unfortunately these are still not in force and not ratified in Bangladesh yet. Besides, there is a vital lack of active Anti-Harassment Committee (AHC) in most of the garment factories, though there is a Bangladesh Labour Rules Amendment (2022) no. 361 (ka) of setting the Anti-Harassment Committee (AHC) for preventing sexual harassment and ensuring safety measures at workplace, especially for the women workers.

To endorse these issues and run an active AHC among the selected garment factories situated especially in Gazipur, Dhaka and Narayanganj districts, Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) has initiated this project along with the local partners Awaj Foundation, Karmojibi Nari (KN), Phulki, Safety and Rights Society (SRS), and Songshoptaque. The project is subsequently funded and supported by Fair Wear Foundation and GIZ.