Stakeholders unite for advancement of women in leadership positions in RMG sector

A dialogue and exhibition titled "She Leads the Weave: Advancing Gender Equity and Women's Leadership in Bangladesh's Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Sector" took place in Dhaka.

The event was organised by Swisscontact under the Promoting Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector through Skills (PROGRESS) project, funded by the Embassy of Sweden and the Embassy of Switzerland.

More than 150 participants attended, including women supervisors, factory officials, private sector actors, advisory service providers and development partners. The event focused on the need to empower women across all levels of the RMG workforce.

In her welcome remarks, Farzana Amin, Team Leader of the PROGRESS project, said that the RMG sector is the biggest export-oriented industry and has long been a workplace where women could earn wages and shift power dynamics at home and in communities. She said women still lack space in key decision-making roles in large organisations. "We aim to design a programme that will enable young female professionals to progress from mid-level roles to senior leadership positions," she said.

In a presentation, T M Abu Saleh, Manager-Programme of the PROGRESS project, said "Future of this sector must be competitive and resilient. But above all, it must be shared equally by the women who built it."

A session titled "Voices from the Factory Floor" featured testimonies from women who have moved into leadership roles. A panel of experts from industry and academia discussed the need for gender-responsive HR practices, changes in workplace culture, mentorship, and safer, more supportive environments.

Panelist Vidiya Amrit Khan, Vice President of BGMEA, shared her own experience. "At one point, a significant part of my management team consisted of women. However, we faced challenges in sustaining this because many young women leave their jobs after marriage. This reflects a broader socio-cultural issue in our industry, and it has reinforced our commitment to creating policies and support systems that enable women to continue thriving in their careers," she said.

The event included a drama performance showing barriers faced by women and their progress, as well as an exhibition on gender-focused initiatives.

In his closing remarks, Ikramul H. Sohel, Senior Programme Officer at the Embassy of Sweden, said only a small number of women currently hold leadership roles in the RMG sector. He said the Embassy hopes to increase this through support for projects such as PROGRESS and Aporajita.