Work, gender roles, and health: neglected mental health issues among female workers in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh

Abstract

BackgroundTraditionally, women in Bangladesh stayed at home in their role as daughter, wife, or mother. In the 1980s, economic reforms created a job market for poor, uneducated rural women in the ready-made garment industry, mostly located in urban areas. This increased participation in paid work has changed the gender roles of these women. Women’s earnings support their family, but they are also separated from their children, with impacts on their mental health and well-being. This study explores the lived experience of women in Bangladesh working in the ready-made garment industry as they strive to be mothers and family providers, often in high-stress conditions.MethodsThe study was conducted in two industrial areas of Dhaka over 8 months. Data collection included a literature review, 20 in-depth interviews with married female garment workers, and 14 key-informant interviews with officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, health-service providers within the garment factories, factory managers, and representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. The data collected were analyzed thematically.ResultsPoverty was a key motivating factor for female migrant workers to move from rural areas. Their children stay in their village with their grandparents, because of their mothers’ work conditions and the lack of childcare. The women reported stress, anxiety, restlessness, and thoughts of suicide, due to the double burden of work and separation from their children and family support. Further, they cannot easily access government hospital services due to their long work hours, and the limited medical services provided in the workplace do not meet their needs.ConclusionIn order to improve the health and well-being of female garment workers, steps should be taken to develop health interventions to meet the needs of this important group of workers who are contributing significantly to the economic development of the country.

Migrant Workers and Psychological Health: A Systematic Review

“…Work related stress manifests itself on the bodies with somatization and physical problems for the workers; most of the women employees analyzed by Akter said that they lived with constant feelings of guilt, anxiety, poor appetite, and that these feelings contributed adversely to their mental well-being. They felt restless, fatigued, and wanted to die due also to longing for their children [110].…”

Work and breast milk feeding: a qualitative exploration of the experience of lactating mothers working in ready made garments factories in urban Bangladesh

“…When family circumstances compelled lactating mothers to keep their RMG factory jobs, they suffered from both physical pain and mental anxiety when they could not breastfeed adequately. A previous study conducted on RMG workers who left their infants and toddlers behind in rural areas showed that those working mothers suffered from anxiety and depression caused by separation from their infants [ 21 ].…”

“…The Labour Act also requires companies employing at least 40 workers to provide childcare facilities for children up to 6 years of age; however industry compliance has been inconsistent [ 17 ]. Despite legal rights, researchers have reported that female garment workers face violence in the workplace, difficult job conditions (including long working hours), stress caused by excessive workload and anxiety [ 19 – 21 ]. Researchers have also reported that RMG workers have limited access to government hospitals, that only large factories have medical services and that these services have been deemed inadequate to meet their needs [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Telepsychiatry as a mental health intervention for garment workers in Bangladesh: A ‘Need of Hour’ during COVID-19?

“…Their unhealthy working environment, severe workload, low wages, poor living conditions, few recreational activities, repeated exposure to abuse, and widespread discrimination, are making them vulnerable to developing a wide array of mental disorders, with consequent absenteeism, lower productivity and poor concentration 5 . A recent report documented presence of widespread depression, personality disorder and somatization among the workers in the readymade garment industry in Bangladesh 6 . Interviewed stakeholders reported an urgent need for immediate evidence-based, cost-effective and gender-sensitive mental health care 6 .…”