EWRWB

Empowering Women RMG Workers in Bangladesh(EWRWB)

Supported by: GIZ
The ready-made garment (RMG) sector is one of the most important sectors in Bangladesh. More than 3.5 million people benefit from the industry of which about 85% are women but RMG workers are deprived of their rights at their respective work station. Since several years OWDEB has been assisting RMG women workers in their fight for better working conditions and adequate payments.

Empowering Women RMG Workers Project is one of the vital projects of OWDEB, directly funded and supervised by GIZ Since 15th July 2007 the project has been assisting RMG workers for –
Women RMG workers are empowered to claim their rights

Objective:

  1. Women RMG workers have a comprehensive understanding of the Bangladesh Labour Law 2006.
  2. Women workers have free access to legal aid services.
  3. Women RMG workers have a collective voice in the form of a functional participation committee and are able to effectively mediate conflict between management and worker
  4. RMG factory owners and management understand the benefits of compliance and are aware of the importance of a gender friendly workplace

Brief Summary:
The project has been implementing ‘Women Leadership Development and Awareness Program’ to organize RMG industry workers of different areas of Chittagong city corporation.

Following the project purpose & outcome properly the organization proceeded to achieve the project goal. This reporting period we had some hopeful success of project implementation. 09 women’s cafe are using for primary legal counseling, training and supporting with necessary logistics and supervised by trained the facilitators.

640 super PEG Leaders Identified (group leader of RMG worker) and 640 trained. 510 Peer Group formed through assisting the PEG leaders. More than 5,040 members of 510 PEGs ( RMG workers group) were trained on 10 core elements of Bangladesh Labour Law. Besides, Legal counseling and supports had regular subject. The reporting period 87 complain appeared and 59 workers have taken legal aid on work related matters and 06 RMG workers have taken legal aid on family matters. The organization recovered 43,700/- BDT. On behalf of workers and for these achievements the PEG leaders had kept active roles.

The project staffs are facilitating to improve work condition inside the factory and working for workers’ safety at their living area. We have good communication as before with factory management and through using the communication we can follow up and nursing to our targeted PEGs. ‘Garments Young Female Leaders’ Forum’ have active. Inside the factory they are dealing with management to solve various work related problems of workers, safe, peaceful and nondiscrimination working environment.

Therefore, we are really glad to the GIZ to support RMG workers for their empowerment at Chittagong.