Washim Mia, Staff Reporter (RMG Times) Despite the fact that the women in the driver’s seat to promote us as the second largest RMG exporting country in the world after China, efforts to protect their rights in the workplace, even outside, are relatively few. They have no other options but to accept the harsh and challenging conditions silently.  Therefore, to assess Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the garments factory, a GBV assessment tool validation workshop was held yesterday at Uttara, Dhaka.

The workshop was conducted by the International Trainer and one of the most senior compliance professionals of Bangladesh, Mr. Abdul Alim, President & CEO of a USA based management system company “Sustainable Management System Inc.” While conducting, Mr. Alim showed a questionnaire with a power-point presentation based on national and international laws and regulations which can be used to address GBV in the garments factories of Bangladesh.  

Shojag (Awaken), a coalition consisting of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), BRAC, Christian Aid, Naripokkho and SNV Netherlands Development Organization with the funding support from Global Fund for Women, is implementing this project named “An Initiative to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Garments Industry” while Global Sustainable Certification Services (GSCS) and Sustainable Management System Inc. (SMS Inc.) are acting as the consultants for the project.

This Shojag project, started September 2017, will continue their work for 30 months. The main focus is to identify GBV the garments factories and to eliminate it applying systemic approach like raising awareness, strengthening the capacity of private and public bodies, protecting the rights and legal entitlements of the female workers and engaging factories towards systematic changes across the garments sector. The project is looking forward to deliver sustainable results with the framework of 4P- Protection, Prevention, Prosecution and Partnership.

A total of 45 delegates were present during the workshop. Representatives from SNV, BLAST, BRAC, Naripokkho, Christian Aid, Audit Companies, BIILS and also from brands, NGOs, garments factories and media attended in the event which was followed by Iftar and dinner.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Jamal Uddin, Inclusive Business Adviser- SNV Netherlands Development Organization, thanked all the participants for joining the program and thus it came to a successful end.