ILO campaign spreads COVID-19 awareness among Bangladesh RMG workers

13 Jul '21

2 min read

Pic: Shutterstock

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) last month launched a behaviour change awareness campaign to identify and reduce COVID-19 risks faced by readymade garment (RMG) workers in Bangladesh in their workplaces and communities. The campaign was based on a pulse survey covering 300 garment workers to identify gaps in understanding COVID-19 risks and preventive measures.

Launched in collaboration with BRAC, an international development organisation based in the country, the campaign targets at least 5,000 households in the RMG dense areas of Gazipur and Chattogram, covering a population of more than 20,000, with at least 60 per cent of the beneficiaries being women.

Funded by Denmark and Sweden, the campaign is a part of the ILO's Social Dialogue and Industrial Relations (SDIR) project's COVID-19 response work, jointly with the Bangladesh department of labour, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Workers Resource Centre (WRC), according to an ILO press release.

With the tagline ‘Keep Corona away by knowing and complying’, the campaign aims to inform RMG workers, their families and communities about COVID-19 symptoms to help change their behaviour for taking precautions and prevention measures against coronavirus as an urgent priority in everyday life. Special emphasis has been put on COVID-19 health tips for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

Featuring a series of awareness-raising videos, posters, leaflets, door-to-door meetings and public service announcements, the campaign will run till the end of October 2021.

Also included are community-level engagements, distribution of hygiene kits, social media campaign, and SMS and voice messages that are being disseminated through mobile phones.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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