Publication:
Exports, Equity, and Empowerment : The Effects Of Readymade Garments Manufacturing Employment On Gender Equality In Bangladesh Bangladesh

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (700.86 KB)
7,432 downloads
Published
2012
ISSN
Date
2012-06-26
Editor(s)
Abstract
Bangladesh has become known as something of a success in advancing gender equity since the 1990s. There have been rapid gains in a number of social and economic domains, yet by most objective standards the current condition and status of women and girls within Bangladeshi society remain low. Rapid progress has come about under conditions of mass poverty and interlocking forms of social disadvantage, political instability and under-development, overlain with persistent 'classic' forms of patriarchy. Mass employment of women and girls in the country's flagship export sector - the readymade garments (RMG) sector - has been one of the more visible and prominent changes in women's lives since its late 1970s' introduction.
Link to Data Set
Citation
Hossain, Naomi. 2012. Exports, Equity, and Empowerment : The Effects Of Readymade Garments Manufacturing Employment On Gender Equality In Bangladesh Bangladesh. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9100 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Digital Object Identifier
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Gender Equality and the Revitalization of Japan's Society and Economy Under Globalization
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2012) Osawa, Mari
    The global financial crisis that began with the collapse of the subprime mortgage market in the United States spread to economies around the world at an astonishing pace. In Japan, as 2009 began, jobs and often homes were lost with a suddenness and on a scale previously unknown, leaving people at a loss as to where to turn. At a time when Japan's own societal sustainability was seen to be under increasing threat, an unprecedented degree of instability was laid bare throughout the globalized economy. At precisely this juncture, in the general election of 30 August 2009, the long-standing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-led coalition government was replaced by a Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)-led government in an historic change of administration.
  • Publication
    The Making of Gender Equality in Tunisia and Implications for Development
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2012) Baliamoune, Mina
    In 1965, Tunisia's real GDP per capita was 645 Tunisian dinars (TD). Twenty years later, it rose to TD 1,285 (about double its level in 1965). In 2005, Tunisia increased its per capita real GDP to TD 2,480. While this may seem to be a substantial increase in income over four decades, it pales compared to Tunisia's achievements in other aspects of human development, particularly in education, health and gender equality. Indeed, Tunisia's achievements in these areas are remarkable. Baliamoune-Lutz undertook an analysis of Tunisia's path to development and concluded that "Tunisia's development strategy has relied primarily on diversifying its production, expanding the trade sector (both in terms of the size of its share and in terms of trade diversification), and human development--with a special emphasis on gender equality" (Baliamoune-Lutz, 2009a, p. 15). The empowerment of women, in particular, seems to have contributed significantly to raising the level of human development in the country.
  • Publication
    The Role Of Men for Gender Equality
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2012) Farré, Lídia
    Gender as an interdisciplinary concept refers to women and men, the relations between them, and the institutions that govern these relationships. However, most of the literature on gender focuses on women and girls and the factors that affect their socioeconomic outcomes. For a long time, a commitment to promoting gender equality in economic outcomes, as in other areas of social development and human rights, has emphasized women's empowerment. There is evidence that expanding woman's opportunities - in particular health, education, earnings, rights, and political participation - drives down gender inequality and accelerates development. In developed countries women are also considered to be responsible of the reduction in economic gender disparities. Despite important advances towards equality, differences in the socioeconomic outcomes of men and women still persist both in the developing and developed world. Recently, policy makers and social scientists have begun to emphasize the role and responsibility of men and boys in promoting gender equality.
  • Publication
    Promoting Gender Equality by Facilitating Women's Collective Problem-Solving Capacity Development : Japanese Experience with the Post-War Life Improvement Program and its Application to Contemporary Developing Countries
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2012) Sato, Mine
    One of the most important qualities for human beings to have is agency: a core capacity/competence for making decisions, entering into agreements, and acting by and for themselves. Agency is a crucial dimension also in the promotion of gender equality. In practice, women in developing countries often are not allowed to make independent decisions or take independent actions. This is the case even in their biological roles, such as with respect to the home life issues which are within their gender norms and thus closely associated with practical gender needs (PGNs). We must ask, then, what pragmatic (effective and culturally sensitive) strategies, if taken by policy makers and program managers, might help empower women and promote gender equality over the long run? This paper presents experience with the Life Improvement Program (LIP),1 implemented in Japan after World War II and since the mid-2000s applied to JICA development projects/programs in developing countries, It also evaluates LIP contributions in post-war and contemporary contexts.
  • Publication
    Role of Law and Justice in Achieving Gender Equality
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2012) Chiongson, Rea Abada; Desai, Deval; Marchiori, Teresa; Woolcock, Michael
    The authors are grateful to a number of people who helped at various states in the drafting of this paper. In particular, Nicholas Menzies (Justice Reform Specialist, LEGJR) for his continuous support and extensive comments on earlier drafts; Milena Stefanova (Project Officer, LEGJR), Daniel Evans (Consultant, LEGJR) and Elizabeth Morgan (Development Practitioner, PNG-Australia Law and Justice Partnership, Village Courts & Land Mediation Secretariat, PNG Department of Justice & Attorney General) for their invaluable inputs and insights; Barry Walsh (Senior Justice Specialist, LEGJR), Harold Epineuse (Counsel, LEGJR), Richard Nash (Counsel, LEGJR) and Melissa Upreti (Center for Reproductive Rights) for their contributions and comments; Virginia Seitz (Senior Director, Social and Gender Assessment, Millennium Challenge Corporation) and Limpho Masekese Maema (Gender Coordinator, Gender Equality in Economic Rights Programme, Millenium Challenge Account- Lesotho) for their contribution to the drafting of the case study on Lesotho.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.