Enforce labour law for women’s safety and dignity
The findings presented at this year's Annual BIDS Conference on Development reveal a long-running but largely unaddressed problem in Bangladesh's agro-based industries: the routine mistreatment of women workers. The study—carried out in Mymensingh, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Dhaka, Cumilla and Chattogram districts, covering 510 female respondents—shows that 61.37 percent of them had faced verbal and emotional abuse, which is nearly three in five women. It also shows that one in nine reports sexual or physical harassment. In most cases, supervisors are responsible. The statistics point to a clear abuse of authority inside factories that rely heavily on women's labour, yet provide little protection or oversight. The findings also indicate an existing work culture where intimidation and coercion have been allowed to take root.
The study also lays out the difficult conditions under which women work. They spend an average of 51.6 hours a week on the job, and nine in 10 say overtime is compulsory. Despite this, only 6.3 percent receive the double overtime pay required by law. Facilities that should be standard remain rare, as just 21 percent of enterprises have childcare rooms, and only 31 percent grant fully paid maternity leave. When these work conditions are combined with limited say in household decisions, poor representation at work, and a lack of awareness of their rights, the picture becomes even dire. Women are operating in environments where neglect, overwork, and mistreatment blend into everyday life.
Other studies presented at the same session show how uneven the wider labour market is. Workers in major cities earn far more—2.6 times more on average—than those in rural areas. Rural wages have grown slowly over the past decade, leaving many outside metropolitan areas with few opportunities. For women in agro-industries, often located in smaller towns or peri-urban regions, this means their ability to leave abusive workplaces is even more limited. When job options are narrow and wages low, employers can get away with practices that would not stand in more regulated or better-paid sectors.
These findings clearly show that the problem is not a shortage of rules, but a failure to enforce them. Authorities must strengthen inspections, penalise enterprises that ignore labour law and standards. Also, the availability of basic, gender-responsive facilities must be ensured at every workplace. Reporting systems must be safe, simple and shield workers from retaliation, particularly when supervisors are the offenders. Protecting the women who keep the wheels of our economy running will not happen through small adjustments. It requires firm action, proper monitoring, and a commitment to ensuring that safety and dignity are not treated as optional extras in the workplace.
