Toward the development of post Covid-19 gender policy measures to end modern slavery and exploitation in the Bangladeshi garment sector

制定后 Covid-19 性别政策措施，以结束孟加拉国服装行业的现代奴役和剥削

• 批准号: AH/V009788/1
• 负责人: Muhammad Islam
• 金额: $ 15.71万
• 依托单位: University of Aberdeen
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FV009788%2F1
• 关键词: Toward; development; post; Covid; 19

This project aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women in garment sector in Bangladesh that supplies goods to retailers in the Global North and recommend gender policy measures to end modern slavery and exploitation with the sector. Our proposed research responds to ongoing global concerns over working conditions in a developing nation. Amid the COVID-9 Pandemic, international news coverage and NGOs' reports have highlighted that big retailers, some based in the UK have cancelled orders without even paying for production costs already laid out, delaying payments and asking for discounts from factories. As of April, 2020, more than US$3 billion in orders to around 1200 factories were in limbo, leaving around 2.8 million workers, mostly women, facing poverty and hunger. To meet orders that were still on the books in April and May, factory owners forced workers to continue to work, leaving them at risk of catching COVID-19 and spreading the virus to their families and communities. Therefore, amid the pandemic, workers have either been laid off without pay or forced to work in unsafe environments. Given that, neither the Government, factory owners nor retailers are taking any clear responsibility for workers who have been laid off without pay, meaning they no longer have the means to provide for families.Prior social science research has highlighted prevalence of exploitation, unequal pay, gender discrimination, harassment, forced labour (including excessive overtime), physical and verbal abuse and so on associated with the women workers in the garment sector. Many people in the North recognize these as modern slavery. A few studies suggested that the prohibition of slavery (such as harassment; force labor) can play a significant role to improve the working condition for female workers in the garments sector. Given this, the current Covid 19 pandemic takes a new shape in slavery as women workers are now most vulnerable because of the absence of social safety net. There is also huge concern over slavery by women workers as no one (government inspector, compliance auditor, owners, buyers and even workers rights NGOs) is clearly monitoring whether factory owners are complying with existing policy, and transparency and accountability mechanism during the period of pandemic. Given the circumstances, we conduct situational analysis of women workers both during and post COVID 19 pandemic times and seek to develop gender policy measures for eliminating slavery and creating a sound/sustainable social safety net within the global clothing supply chains operating in Bangladesh. For this research, we use mixed research methods, i.e. survey workers and compliance auditors and interview key stakeholders and gender policy informants within the garment sector in Bangladesh.

该项目旨在调查新冠肺炎疫情对孟加拉国向全球北方零售商供应商品的服装业妇女的影响，并建议性别政策措施，以结束该行业的现代奴役和剥削。我们提议的研究回应了全球对发展中国家工作条件的持续担忧。在COVID-9大流行期间，国际新闻报道和非政府组织的报告突显出，大型零售商甚至在没有支付已经安排的生产成本的情况下取消了订单，推迟付款并要求工厂提供折扣。截至2020年4月，约1200家工厂的30多亿美元订单处于停滞状态，导致约280万工人面临贫困和饥饿，其中大部分是妇女。为了完成4月和5月仍在执行的订单，工厂老板强迫工人继续工作，让他们面临感染新冠肺炎的风险，并将病毒传播给家人和社区。因此，在大流行期间，工人要么被无薪解雇，要么被迫在不安全的环境中工作。既然如此，无论是政府、工厂东主或零售商，都没有为被解雇的无薪工人承担任何明确的责任，即她们已没有能力养家糊口。以前的社会科学研究指出，制衣行业的女工普遍存在剥削、不平等工资、性别歧视、骚扰、强迫劳动(包括过度加班)、身体和言语虐待等现象。北方的许多人认为这些是现代奴隶制。一些研究表明，禁止奴役(如骚扰；强迫劳动)可以在改善服装部门女工的工作条件方面发挥重要作用。有鉴于此，当前的Covid 19大流行在奴隶制中呈现出一种新的形式，因为由于缺乏社会安全网，女工现在最容易受到伤害。对女工奴役问题也非常关切，因为没有人(政府检查员、合规审计师、业主、买家，甚至工人权利非政府组织)明确监测工厂主是否遵守现有政策，以及在大流行期间建立透明和问责机制。在这种情况下，我们对新冠肺炎大流行期间和疫情后的女工进行情况分析，并寻求制定性别政策措施，以消除奴隶制，并在孟加拉国运作的全球服装供应链内建立健全/可持续的社会安全网。在这项研究中，我们使用了混合的研究方法，即调查人员和合规审计员，并采访了孟加拉国服装行业的主要利益相关者和性别政策信息提供者。

项目成果

The impact of Covid-19 on women workers in the Bangladesh garment industry

Covid-19 对孟加拉国服装业女工的影响

• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Islam MA

Toward the Development of Post Covid-19 Gender Policy Measures to End Forced Labour and Exploitation in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector

制定后 Covid-19 性别政策措施以结束孟加拉国服装行业的强迫劳动和剥削

• DOI: 10.20392/twrh-cf05
• 发表时间: 2021
• 作者: Islam M

Women bear the cost of Covid fashion industry disruption

女性承受着新冠疫情对时尚业破坏的代价

• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Islam MA

OPINION: Social audits, modern slavery - Covid shows apparel industry did not learn from Rana Plaza disaster

观点：社会审计、现代奴隶制——新冠疫情表明服装行业没有从拉纳广场灾难中吸取教训

• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Islam, M.A

Short Video sharing experiences of three women garment workers during Covid 19 time

短视频分享三位女制衣工人在Covid 19时期的经历

• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Islam MA