Written by The Banking Post
Two out of three female workers in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector were married before turning 18, and nearly 65 per cent had their first pregnancy before reaching adulthood, according to a new study by icddr,b.
The 24-month longitudinal study, conducted from August 2022 to December 2024 in Dhaka’s Korail and Mirpur slums and Gazipur’s Tongi slum, surveyed 778 RMG workers aged 15-27. It found that one in three had faced unintended pregnancies, while one in four underwent abortion or menstrual regulation procedures.
Violence remains a critical concern. More than half of the women experienced domestic abuse in the past year, with all forms of violence—except sexual violence—rising over the study period. Workplace psychological abuse also increased, affecting 55 per cent of respondents by the end of two years. Yet almost none sought formal help, and informal reporting to family or friends fell sharply from 35 per cent to 21 per cent.
Despite growing awareness of family planning—knowledge of long-acting methods rose from 49 per cent to 70 per cent, and understanding of emergency contraceptives jumped from 15 per cent to 39 per cent—access to services remains limited. Only 22 per cent of factories provided sanitary pads, and just 14 per cent supplied family planning materials.
Panelists at the seminar said the findings highlight systemic neglect of female workers’ sexual and reproductive health, noting that conditions are worse than those of other Bangladeshi women despite the sector’s economic prominence.
