Exploring Sexual Harassment of Victimized Women Workers in Ready-Made Garment of Bangladesh

Abstract

The study aims to explore sexual harassment against women garment workers in the RMG sectors of Bangladesh. Women garment workers have faced sexual harassment in different ways in their working atmosphere. Sexual harassment as a study problem reveals the internal phenomenon that happens in the RMG sectors against women workers by their co-workers and administrative part. Exploring the holistic understanding of victimized women garment workers, the study has been designed and conducted by choosing fifteen respondents who have suffered from sexual harassment in many forms. The interviewed respondents have been selected through snowball sampling and techniques. An interview checklist has been used to collect data from the respondents and to make a clear realization of the study area. Selected respondents have been interviewed from more than twenty RMG garment factories maintaining ethical considerations and validity. The findings of the study reveal that interviewed women workers have been harassed in many faces by their co-workers in the same position, linemen or supervisors, and a few persons working in the administration part. The study has found that oral, physical, and mental harassment have been committed against women workers in different natures and approaches. The victimized women have faced it and complained to the management for justice and well-being. The study also found that in most cases, the victimized women didn’t get proper support and justice-based intervention from the management. The victimized women have been tortured and re-victimized when they have noticed the news of victimization to the administration and police station. The study connects the views of the respondents and mentions that by introducing a protective policy for all women workers, sexual harassment against women workers has been minimized, and created a secure environment for continuing their jobs and movement.