Female garment worker numbers in decline: survey

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The percentage of female personnel in the garment industry declined between 2015 and 2000, according to a survey. 

In 2020, 59.2 per cent of the 4.22 million personnel were female while 40.8 per cent male.

In other words, there were most 24.98 lakh female employees although some 17.22 lakh male.

In 2015, some 65 % or 25.91 lakh of the 4 million personnel were female while 1.41 million male.

The gross annual growth rate of female workers witnessed a slowdown of 0.7 per cent.

Even so, the rate was a confident 4 % for male staff. This does mean the number of employees increased by only one 1.07 % every year, said the survey.

The findings were detailed in a report on "Socio-economic Profile of Garment Workers of Bangladesh", which was built public by AK Enamul Haque, executive director of research firm Asian Centre for Development, at a virtual programme yesterday.

The survey was conducted among 1,119 personnel in 160 woven and knit garment and sweater factories in Dhaka, Savar and Chattogram.

It said the feminine worker ratio declined as a result of automation and for the type of the machinery found in the sector.

In this regard, Arshad Jamal Dipu, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), claimed that female employees were less tech-savvy.

Moreover, men were preferring jobs found in the garment sector for earnings hikes, the analysis said.

The average age of garment personnel is 25.9 years (males 27 years and females 25 years).

Some 74 % of staff are married and 25 % unmarried while 1 per cent is separated.

Some 89 per cent of staff migrated from various other districts to become listed on workplaces, mostly from Mymensingh and Rangpur.

Some 15 % of factories employed foreign pros, mainly in managerial, merchandising, cutting and style and for technical functions.

There's been nomassive improvement in the living standards of garment employees despite the upsurge in wages around 2015 and 2020, said Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

There has been no major change in purchasing electricity and savings from earnings by the garment personnel even after the hike, he said.

Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of Policy Exploration Institute, said the quantity of workers fainting from technical establishments was lower in the garment sector.

The reason for employees entering and departing the sector so young ought to be unearthed, he said. "Can we generate their stay in the sector much longer?" he asked.

If intercontinental retailers and brands pay right prices to localized garment suppliers, staff will be better off, said BGMEA President Rubana Huq.

Bangladesh needs to put collective pressure about them in order that they pay proper prices, she said.

Rates of Bangladeshi garment products declined by 4.78 % year-on-year this past year, Huq said.

She also advocated for bettering the country's recruiting, reasoning that some 15 % of garment factory managements hired foreign professionals to cater to jobs in management, merchandising and designing.

It will be extremely challenging for Bangladesh if the international stores and brands do not pay proper rates, said KM Abdus Salam, secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Occupation.

Khondaker Golam Moazzem, exploration director of the CPD, suggested having a great educational requirement of a certain level for garment employee occupation to bring qualitative alterations in the sector.

Rensje Teerink, europe ambassador to Bangladesh, said the EU has provided assist with help laid-off workers on Bangladeshi garment factories during this time period of Covid-19.

She suggested finding the reasons for the decrease in the quantity of female garment workers.

Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of International Labour Organization found in Bangladesh, suggested expanding health care and welfare providers and injury safety schemes for garment workers.

Zafar Sobhan, editor of The Dhaka Tribune, moderated the program.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net

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