A study carried out by researchers at University of Aberdeen and trade justice charity Traidcraft Exchange UK has underlined the Coronavirus pandemic has affected Bangladeshi women garment workers who had to bear the brunt of pandemic-induced disruptions to the industry.
Titled, ‘The impact of Covid-19 on women workers in the Bangladesh garment industry’, the findings of the study were published recently, which further revealed compliance audits carried out by companies concerned were ‘largely ineffective’ even as it added around 20 per cent of social compliance auditors has been skipping women’s equal rights issues in their audits while auditing the right to trade union recognition has been skipped by 40 per cent of the auditors.
The study while further adding that the immediate impact of Covid-19 and retailers’ actions like order cancellation, demands for discounted prices and refusal to pay for work in progress had disproportionately impacted women workers’ vulnerability by contributing to an increase in gender violence, abuse and economic hardship, recommended revising and reviewing a legal framework of Bangladesh to protect worker rights.
The study finding also suggested creating a UK fashion watchdog to tackle abusive purchasing practices by brands that are selling in the UK market.
