The rising gender-based violence and harassment in workplaces

It is a shocking revelation.

The readymade garment workers reportedly encountered five forms of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in their workplaces.

Among them, 45 per cent experienced sexual violence and harassment, 22 per cent psychological harassment, 17 per cent verbal abuse, nine percent encountered economic exploitation, and seven percent physical violence.

The study, focusing on GBVH in RMG factories in Bangladesh, was conducted by nine RMG workers’ organisations with support of Solidarity Center.

Around 140 workers — male and female — participated in the study.

Due to sexual violence and harassment, 89 per cent of workers suffered mental breakdowns, while 83 per cent lost interest in their jobs, said the study.

Of the incidents, 71 per cent occurred inside the factory, 15 per cent took place outside the factory, nine percent at home, and five percent happened during daily commute.

The study further said that 57 per cent of workers lost their jobs, 45 per cent had to temporarily stop working or lost pay, 54 per cent experienced family problems, and 48 per cent reported an increase or decrease in their production targets if they filed complaints with the authorities.

Additionally, 65 per cent of the workers shared that the perpetrators held power due to their good relations with mid-to-senior-level management employees, while 26 per cent of them had connections with locally influential people and their associates.

The majority of GBVH perpetrators were co-workers and supervisors as 22 per cent of GBVH incidents were caused by co-workers, with the same percentage applicable to supervisors.

The second-highest group responsible for GBVH was line chiefs and mid-to-senior-level management officials.

Furthermore, 50 per cent of workers faced wage deductions or were made to work extra hours without overtime pay by their supervisors or factory management if they did not agree to their sexual advances.

The study provided several recommendations for the government, employers, trade unions, and federations to combat GBVH among RMG factories.

Enforcing a zero-tolerance policy to address GBVH, especially in cases where factory owners, senior and mid-level officers are directly or indirectly involved, and raising awareness among management and workers through videos, images, and infographics is necessary as recommended in the study.

Trade unions and federations need to seriously prioritise prevention of GBVH and women workers’ safety as core union issues, formulate gender policies and action plans, and establish anti-harassment committees.

Business must ensure the enforcement of safe workplace regulation.

Moreover, social resistance is equally necessary for curbing gender-based violence and harassment in workplaces.