Changing status of women and the garment industry in the light of the political sea change in Bangladesh

Dr.  Kasturi Bhadra Ray

The political turmoil in Bangladesh, including the stepping down of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has created uncertainty that is severely straining the economy. This instability has disrupted not only the overall industry but also the textiles and apparel sector, the shift leading to a significant loss of market share for Bangladesh’s ready-made garments (RMG) sector. The countries that are major import partners of Bangladesh include the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and Australia. Many of these countries are also investors in Bangladesh’s apparel industry. The countries that have heavily invested in Bangladesh’s apparel industry, such as the US, Germany, the UK, and Canada, are seriously considering sourcing products from other Asian nations, such as Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka.

The ready-made garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh has been the cornerstone of the country’s economy, the industry that has made a crucial contribution to rebuilding the country and its economy, with strong female participation. 

Bangladesh, after becoming independent in the year 1971, was considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world with no distinguished production supporting her progress. Even the jute industry, the only major export earner began to tear down. During this turmoil, the industry that not only contributed but also helped in rebuilding the economy of the nation-state was- the Readymade-made Garments Sector. 

Readymade garments industry is the clothing industry that deals with mass-manufactured finished textiles products. Unlike custom tailored products according to specific measurements, they are generalized clothing based on anthropometric measurements. Though it was a concept first initiated in the West, to be precise in New York, USA in 1831, with the rise in demand of the RMGs worldwide, this sector has spread in the Third World countries as well.(Chowdhury & Tanim, 2016; Rahman et.al. 2017, Sen Sharma 2020). 

The readymade garments sector has paved the path for the development of that section of the society, which has been limited to the private sphere, i.e., women. Bangladesh being a developing state has not been able to provide the amenities required for the progress of women like, education, jobs, etc. But with the advent of the RMG factories, many women were able to utilize their proficiency and aptitude for the betterment of the family, society and country. Women, from lower to lower middle class in the urban and rural regions, were  employed in huge numbers in these garment factories This has served to be the basic means of earning for these women and with financial independence they are not only having a say in their families but also in the public sphere.

 Earlier, women’s mobility to any place outside the private arena was quite restricted especially in rural Bangladesh based on traditional and family norms. These notions and beliefs prohibited them to leave the family compound alone, without being accompanied by a male member, on grounds of safety and security. However, all these notions were challenged once the women started working in the RMG factories, as they had no option but to move out of their houses to earn their living. With women stepping out of their houses, they became more conscious of the situation of their family and society and they began to question their traditions and customs. Therefore, women’s access to resources, free mobility and awareness of family planning have carved out the materialization of women’s empowerment and involvement in the RMG industries is assisting them to realize it( Sen Sharma 2020).

Though there are certain aspects negatively affecting the lives of women workers in the RMG industry. However, the economic independence provided by this sector can’t be negated. This has facilitated them to take equal stand with men in the society. How have men taken this change of situation is a question. The notion that men are least bothered with women’s progress is incorrect. Earlier men considered women to be inferior beings with lesser intelligence and capacity, this thought process has reformed. The growth in the monetary income, by their partners, has improved the standard of living of these families and this has been happily accepted by the Bangladeshi men. Therefore, it can be seen that salaried women, sometimes, have a constructive impact on their husbands and families.

In this wake, Bangladesh was suddenly plunged into a political crisis when Sheikh Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister following deadly protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs , and fled the country. Soon after Parliament was dissolved leading to the creation of an interim government. 

The 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of an interim government. Since then the fear that Bangladesh is steadily going the way of Afghanistan are turning out to be grimly true. Apart from the unrelenting attacks on minorities, mostly Hindus, over the past few weeks, radical Islamists have attacked Muslim women in Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, and some other parts of the country for venturing out in public without a male relative accompanying them or for dressing ‘indecently’ and even for listening to music in what Barr ( 2024 ) defines as developing gender apartheid. 

In Afghanistan now, women are largely confined to their homes, losing their voice, their personhood, their education, their dreams, and contributions to their communities—a brutal demonstration of how fragile the rights of women have become in this country. Fears that Bangladesh is steadily going the way of Afghanistan are turning out to be grimly true.

References:

Barr H, (2024); ‘The Taliban and the Global Backlash against Women’s Rights ‘, Georgetown Journal of International affairs, February 6, 2024 1:29PM EST.

Chowdhury, M. F., Tanim, T. R. (2016); ‘Industrial Accidents in Bangladesh Apparel, ’DOI: 10.20448/journal.500/2016.3.2/500.2.115.126.

Kundu, D. (2015); Personal Communication, 30 November, 2015.

Luthfa, S. (2015); Personal Communication, 1 December, 2015.

Rahman, M. Abdullah-Al-Masum, T. M. & Habibullah, M. (2017),’Readymade Garment Industry in Bangladesh: Growth, Contribution and Challenges, ’IOSR Journal of Economics and Finance.

Sen Sharma (2020) ; ‘Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh: Understanding through the case of Readymade Garment Sector, ‘Gender and Women Studies , 16 November 2020 , 3(1) 4.

The Economic Times (2024); ‘Garment sector facing uncertainty due to Bangladesh crisis, normalcy may return soon’, Aug 10, 2024, 03:31:00 PM IST.