Nearly 65% of garment workers have their first pregnancy before 18 while two out of every three female garment workers were married before reaching 18 years of age, an icddr,b study finds.
“About one in every three female workers experienced at least one unintended pregnancy, while one in four had an experience of abortion or menstrual regulation procedure,” said a press release.
The study titled “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights among Female Garment Workers Living in Urban Slums of Bangladesh: Insights from a Longitudinal Cohort Study” was launched on Monday in the capital.
The study presents the findings of a 24-month cohort study on women working in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector, a first of its kind in Bangladesh.
The study was conducted by AdSearch by icddr,b with support from Global Affairs Canada from August 2022 to December 2024 in areas under icddr,b’s Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System, specifically in the Korail and Mirpur slums of Dhaka and the Tongi slum of Gazipur.
The study was carried out through surveys conducted every six months with a total of 778 garment factory workers aged 15-27 years.
Awareness of long-acting family planning methods among these women grew significantly from 49% at the start of the study to 70% at the two-year follow-up.
Knowledge about emergency contraceptive pills/tablets also increased notably, rising from 15% of women at the start to 39% later on, and positive attitudes towards gender equality in family planning increased from 54% to 71%.
Victims of violence
Female garment workers are also victims of violence, both at home and in the workplace. Incidents of spusal violence was very high in the last 12 months, and all forms of violence, except sexual violence, increased further over the two years.
The prevalence of psychological violence in the workplace was also notably high, rising from 48% at the start of the study to 55% after two years. Worryingly, almost none of the women who experienced violence sought formal help.
The percentage of women who sought informal help (from family or friends) dropped sharply from 35% at the start to only 21% at the end of two years.
In cases of workplace violence, only one in five women reported the violence to the authorities at the beginning, and this figure remained unchanged after two years.
Regarding factory services, the research found that although some counselling services on sexual and reproductive health are available, essential supplies are limited.
Among the factories where the surveyed workers are employed, only 22% were found to provide sanitary pads, and only 14% reported supplying family planning materials.
The research also explored the factors behind adolescent pregnancy. Women who had at least nine years of formal education and married at a comparatively older age had a relatively lower risk of adolescent pregnancy (aged 15–19 years).
Those who started using contraception before their first pregnancy had a 47% lower risk of adolescent pregnancy, and the risk was also lower for those who started working in the garment sector before their first pregnancy.
Conversely, experiencing spousal violence increased the risk of adolescent pregnancy by 26%.
Women’s empowerment
The study also analysed how various aspects of women’s empowerment affect violence by their husbands. Greater decision-making power offered protection against psychological and sexual violence.
“Greater ability to express opinions reduces sexual violence. Female workers with more freedom of mobility had a lower risk of physical violence,” the study finds.
The results consistently indicate that as the level of this type of empowerment increases, female garment workers receive greater protection from violence.
The presentation concluded with a panel discussion featuring former director of Population Council Bangladesh Dr Ubaidur Rob, Joint Secretary of BKMEA Farzana Sharmin, and former executive director of Marie Stopes Bangladesh and independent researcher Yasmin H Ahmed. Emeritus Scientist at icddr,b Dr Ruchira Tabassum Naved served as the principal investigator.
In her remarks, Dr Ruchira said, “Despite being relatively economically advanced, the sexual and reproductive health status of female workers in Bangladesh’s garment industry is worse than that of other women. Detailed research on the determinants for improving the situation is needed. The government, development organisations, and partners must take collective initiative.”
Farzana Sharmin commented, “Since the social system is patriarchal, it is very difficult for women to maintain a ‘work-life balance’. Their opinions on matters like pregnancy are not given much importance. In this situation, creating awareness among workers is imperative. The government can play a far-reaching role here.
“Contraceptive methods need to be made easily accessible to the workers, and their knowledge on this subject needs to be increased. On the other hand, the fixed working hours of government clinics from 9am to 5am prevent working women from accessing services, which should be reconsidered.”
Yasmin H Ahmed highlighted that negative perceptions still prevent women from openly buying contraceptives from shops, underscoring the need to ensure common contraceptive materials and counselling within garment factories.
Dr Ubaidur Rob stated that while women’s workplaces are expanding, reducing unwanted pregnancies must be a priority through increasing the workers’ knowledge.
The findings provide evidence to guide policies and programmes aimed at improving the health, rights, and safety of women in Bangladesh’s RMG sector.
