Increasing Transparency and Listening to Workers Voice: A survey on child and female rights as well as family friendly operations in the textile sector in Bangladesh

As part of its Radical Transparency model of sustainability, S Group is committed to analysing and understanding the root cause of human rights issues within its sphere of impact. The purpose of this project was to provide independently researched and analysed insights to S Group as part of an ongoing process on how it can best support efforts which are focused on improving the lives of workers and their families within its Bangladeshi garment supply chain.

A significant amount of work is being done to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) sector reflected by changes in the legislation, the increasing growth of multistakeholder action and by improvements in the conditions for factory workers themselves. Such changes have a positive impact on the family friendliness of the sector, and the lived experience for workers with children as well as for the children themselves. Female workers are more frequently able to breastfeed in the workplace, medical facilities in factories have improved and increasing efforts are being made to address systemic harassment and discrimination against women.

However, more needs to be done. Workers are still working long hours, thereby limiting the amount of time they can spend with their families. Women are systemically failing to progress into more senior positions in the workforce and that often leaves them confined to low paid and low skilled roles. Childcare facilities are not always developed in line with the needs or cultural norms of working families. Legislation on maternity provision is not always fully applied in practice and that inhibits the ability for female workers to balance job progression with support for a growing family