Sexual Power at the Bargaining Table: A Critical Analysis of Female Garments Worker in the Dhaka City

Garment industry - the most important sector in Bangladesh that has created enormous employment opportunity especially for women. Although there are many academic studies on the export-oriented development of garment manufacturing in Bangladesh, few studies have identified the dimension of sexuality has on the bargaining table. This study examined the inequalities that have been created through the negotiation process of sexual power as a strategy to survive against poverty by some female garment workers. Coming out of an extremely impoverished lower lass socio-economic background, those helpless women who are considered as reserved army have found a means to survive which eventually helped to boomed out this sector. Traditionally socio-political norms and values dictate men as a more capable hand in production area. How women are creating a space for them have revealed out in the work. The analysis should help shed some light on this new and exciting avenue of industrialization process, particularly in export-oriented garment manufacturing sector in Bangladesh and should be especially useful to professionals in Development and Gender studies.

Sharmin Rashid, MSS: Studied Women and Gender Studies at University of Dhaka. Intern at icddr,b., Dhaka, Bangladesh. Interpreter, facilitator, transcript writer, translator of training module at Save the Children International.