THE TESTIMONY
The research team spoke to female workers in Bangladesh to hear their experience of abuse and exploitation.
“There are many things I dislike about the factory. The one I most dislike is the rude scolding and shouting of the supervisors. They physically abuse us by hitting or slapping us. They slap us to force us to work.”
“If I go to the toilet and the supervisor sees that I am not working, they deduct the time from my salary. They even deduct the time from salary if I drink water other than during the lunch break.”
“There are female workers in the ready-made garment industry that suffer from undernutrition. They cannot eat properly, and this reduces their productivity.”
“I often have to work for 14 hours a day. They don’t feed us or let us have a rest. I have to stand on my feet all the time and do the work. It impacts my health significantly. I get headaches and neck pain, and I also have problems with my eyesight.”
“Management can dominate female workers more easily; they are a soft target, but it is difficult for them to abuse male workers.”
“Workers who have been doing the job for a long time are the ones most likely to be terminated.”
“They don’t pay us fairly; They force us to do overtime without pay.”
“Because of pregnancy, I had to give up my job, pregnant workers get fired.”