Advancing Women’s Leadership in Bangladesh’s RMG Sector towards Inclusive Industrial Relations

Author: Md. Mahfuz Ul Bashar

With over around 60% of the RMG workforce in Bangladesh made up of women, the industry’s strength is fundamentally rooted in female labor. Yet, when it comes to industrial relations, union leadership, and collective bargaining, women remain significantly underrepresented. For sustainable and equitable progress, industrial relations must evolve into a more inclusive system—where women are not just the labor force, but also decision-makers, negotiators, and advocates.

The Current Gender Gap in Representation

Despite their numerical strength, women hold only 1% of leadership positions in RMG factories. A 2023 study by LightCastle Partners found that just 9% of managerial roles were occupied by women between 2010 and 2018. Cultural norms, caregiving responsibilities, and workplace discrimination continue to restrict women’s advancement.

Despite contributing immensely to production, women rarely occupy leadership roles in unions, factory committees, or negotiation teams. According to a GIZ and Awaj Foundation report (2024):

• Only 8% of union leaders in the RMG sector are women.
• Less than 5% of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) have had women in lead negotiating roles.
• Women workers often feel intimidated or excluded in grievance forums and committee meetings.

This disparity creates a mismatch between workplace concerns and representation—and limits the effectiveness of dialogue and negotiation mechanisms.

In Bangladesh, women play a vital role across major industries, yet their presence in leadership remains disproportionately low. Agriculture employs the highest percentage of women—74.1% (FAO, 2023)—but most work informally or as unpaid family labor, with minimal access to managerial roles. The ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which employs 53.65% (ETI Bangladesh, BRAC, GiZ, 2022) women, shows the sharpest leadership gap: only 1% of managerial positions are held by women. In contrast, sectors like services and agro-processing offer slightly better leadership opportunities, with 8–11% female representation in management. This somehow represents as below-

Leadership Gaps: Women’s Representation Across Key Industries in Bangladesh

This disparity highlights a structural issue—industries that rely most heavily on female labor often provide the fewest pathways for women to lead. Addressing this imbalance is essential for building inclusive and resilient industrial relations.

Historical Context: Why Gender-Inclusive IR Is Still Needed

Women have always played a role in labor movements—working in factories, organizing protests, and demanding fair treatment. However, when formal industrial relations systems were created in the early 20th century, they largely excluded women from leadership and decision-making.

For example, the International Labour Organization (ILO), founded in 1919, initially focused on male-dominated industries and did not fully recognize women’s unpaid or informal labor. Most union leaders were men, and workplace policies rarely addressed issues like maternity leave, harassment, or equal pay.

Over time, women’s rights activists and labor researchers pushed for change. Their efforts led to gradual reforms, such as gender-sensitive labor laws, maternity protections, and inclusion of women in union structures. But even today, many industrial relations systems still reflect those early gender gaps—especially in sectors like garments, where women make up the majority of workers but remain underrepresented in leadership.

Over the decades, the ILO has taken significant steps to correct these gaps:

• Equal Remuneration Convention (No. 100) (1951): Established the right to equal pay for work of equal value.
• Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (No. 111) (1958): Addressed broader workplace discrimination.
• Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention (No. 156) (1981): Recognized the need for equal treatment of workers with caregiving duties.
• Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183) (2000): Updated standards for maternity leave, employment protection, and breastfeeding rights.
• Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (2008): Integrated gender equality as a cross-cutting issue in labor policy

Bangladesh has ratified two of the most critical gender equality conventions—C100 (28 January 1998) and C111(22 June 1972)—indicating a formal commitment to equal pay and non-discrimination. However, Bangladesh has not ratified C156 or C183, which are essential for supporting working mothers and caregivers. This gap affects the legal protection of women in industrial relations, especially in sectors like RMG where women form the majority of the workforce.

Progress Through Initiatives

Targeted interventions across Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector are demonstrating measurable progress in advancing women’s leadership. The Awaj Foundation trained over 5,000 women in negotiation and labor law, leading to the formation of female-led committees in more than 20 factories, thereby strengthening grassroots leadership and collective voice among female workers (Awaj Foundation, 2020).

The GIZ-BGMEA initiative contributed to a modest but meaningful increase in female supervisory roles—from 4% to 5%—and improved women’s representation in safety and anti-harassment committees by 5–6%, reflecting a growing institutional commitment to gender-inclusive governance within factories (GIZ, 2025).

Meanwhile, the ILO-IFC Gender Equality and Returns (GEAR) program, piloted in Bangladesh and other countries, trained over 800 women, with 395 promoted to supervisory roles. This led to a 39% increase in wages and a 5% gain in productivity in lines led by female supervisors, underscoring the economic and operational benefits of gender-inclusive leadership (IFC, 2023).

Collectively, these initiatives illustrate that empowering women in leadership not only enhances workplace equity but also contributes to improved organizational performance and industrial harmony.

Persistent Barriers to Women’s Leadership

Despite progress, invisible walls still stand in the way of women’s leadership in the RMG sector. Cultural norms often silence female voices in workplace discussions, making assertiveness feel like defiance. Only 23% of factories offer childcare, forcing many women to choose between work and family. Union spaces remain male-dominated, where decisions are made without women at the table. Even where gender quotas exist, enforcement is weak—leaving representation more symbolic than real. These barriers aren’t just structural; they’re systemic. And breaking them requires more than policy—it demands a shift in mindset.

Recommendations for More Inclusive Industrial Relations

To build a fairer and more resilient RMG sector, stakeholders must take concrete steps toward gender inclusion. This includes mandating 30% female representation in union leadership and bargaining teams.

According to the ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality 2022–2025, achieving gender equality in the world of work requires equal participation and representation in decision-making processes, including unions and industrial relations structures. While the ILO does not mandate a specific quota globally, many gender equality frameworks—including the UN System-wide Action Plan (UN-SWAP) and the Beijing Platform for Action—advocate for minimum thresholds of 30% female representation as a benchmark for meaningful inclusion.

These initiatives involve systemic changes, policy implementation, or infrastructure development, typically driven by government or institutional frameworks:

• Supportive Infrastructure for Inclusive Industrial Relations
• Dedicated Transport for Industrial Zones
• Mobile Legal Aid Clinics

Some initiatives are rooted in community-driven efforts or collective support systems, often involving NGOs, community organizations, or collaborative projects:

• Community-Based Childcare Centers
• Women-Focused Health Services

Few initiatives directly empower individuals by addressing personal needs, skills, or flexibility to enhance their work-life balance and career development:

• Flexible Shift Scheduling
• Digital Literacy & Leadership training aid

In the realm of industrial relations, the foundation of harmony lies in two unwavering principles: the assurance of fair wages and the amplification of worker voices. When compensation reflects dignity and dialogue is welcomed without fear, trust flourishes between labor and management. These are not mere ideals—they are the cornerstones of a just workplace, where equity fuels productivity and respect fosters resilience.

Final Thought

A truly harmonious industrial environment is one where every voice matters—and that must include the voices of women. As the RMG sector in Bangladesh matures, inclusive industrial relations are not just a social goal—they are a strategic necessity. Empowering women in dialogue and leadership roles will enrich decision-making, reduce conflict, and build a more just and resilient sector.

Let’s not leave behind the hands that build the garments—let them help shape the future too.

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