586.4
; A Qualitative Study on Critical Gender Analysis in Bangladesh

Wednesday, 18 July 2018: 10:30
Location: 809 (MTCC SOUTH BUILDING)
Oral Presentation
Maksuda SULTANA, The University of Sydney, Australia
A Qualitative Study on Critical Gender Analysis in Bangladesh

Abstract:

Bangladesh Readymade Garments (RMG) sector is well known for offering comparatively low labor-price to the world famous retailers. Various structural limitations are causing accidents like factory fire, building collapse in RMG factories that ultimately affecting the sector labourers. 2013 Rana Plaza collapse has become one of the worst factory disasters in the world history. The RMG factories still struggling to ensure labour rights. Ongoing approach toward a gender equality based women workers’ wage pattern as well as employment rules and regulations in the RMG sector are questionable. Foreign RMG buyers are emphasizing establishment of better factory compliance in Bangladesh, while government and relevant organizations are assuring to implement the standards; there are many issues remaining unsolvable. The research will show the present situation and background problems in the RMG industry in Bangladesh. The study contributes to identify women workers' working conditions and gender disparities in union awareness after the Rana Plaza incident. This will also identify lacks in implementation progress of different international regulations (labour standards) to improve women workers’ post Rana Plaza working conditions in Bangladesh. The study focuses on the degree of support to labourers from stakeholders like government, producers, buyers and institutions; the barriers and opportunities for implementation of so-called adequate regulatory framework. In addition to scholarly sources of universities archives, data has been collected from related literatures of various resources like media publications and documentations, and discussion papers. The research is one of the foremost studies for identifying opportunities and barriers in overcoming real problems of the industry. Finally, the research tries to find out women labourers further problems and opportunities that have not been addressed in the existing documents.