Bangladesh’s garment industry, traditionally female-dominated, is set to hire men and women equally after factory owners agreed to workers’ demands. The decision, part of a larger list of 18 demands, emerged after a month of protests. Workers also requested wage increases to help cope with inflation. The demand for equal employment mainly came from male workers, driven by rising unemployment, which reached 2.64 million in June 2023. Although women are generally preferred for their skill in sewing, the industry’s female workforce has declined from 80% in the 1990s to 57%.
BGMEA vice president Syed Nazrul Islam supports hiring more men if it boosts productivity. This demand is partly inspired by the anti-discrimination student movement that recently toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. However, some experts, like Khondaker Golam Moazzem of the Center for Policy Dialogue, caution that equal hiring could reduce productivity in the competitive sector. He argues that hiring should focus on capability rather than enforcing gender equality.
Activists like Kalpona Akter suggest male workers face greater harassment and blacklisting due to their involvement in labor protests, fueling the call for equal employment. Factory owners maintain blacklists that limit work opportunities for protesting workers, adding to the complexity of the issue.
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