Women account for 48.5% of the workforce in 25 textile mills assessed in Bangladesh but remain underrepresented in wet processing and supervisory and managerial positions, according to a gender assessment presented at a national consultation in Dhaka on Monday.
The consultation on the Gender Action Plan in the Textile Sector was organized by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), in collaboration with the Department of Environment (DoE) and project partners, to strengthen gender-responsive chemical management and occupational health and safety in the industry.
Held under the project “Reducing Uses and Releases of Chemicals of Concern, Including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in the Textiles Sector,” the event brought together government officials, technical experts and other stakeholders to discuss workplace risks and identify measures to improve chemical safety and women's participation in decision-making.
Speaking at the event, Regional Gender Expert Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said women accounted for 48.5% of the workforce across the 25 assessed textile mills but remained underrepresented in wet processing and supervisory and managerial roles.
He said gender-responsive chemical safety measures should address women's specific occupational risks, ensure equal access to safety training and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and include women in workplace decision-making.
The consultation featured findings from the national gender assessment and a draft National Gender Action Plan (NGAP). Participants discussed gaps in chemical safety information, protective equipment, occupational health and safety training, reproductive health and sex-disaggregated data.
National Gender Expert Siddika Sultana said the assessment had identified shortcomings in gender-responsive risk assessments, PPE provision, safety training and reproductive health measures.
She said the draft action plan provides a framework with specific actions, defined responsibilities and measurable targets, but effective implementation would require shared ownership among government agencies, factory management and workers.
In his welcome address, Department of Environment Deputy Director and National Focal Point Kazi Suman said a regional project covering Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam aimed to reduce hazardous chemical use in the textile industry.
The initiative includes preparing chemical inventories in 125 factories. Safer alternatives have so far been introduced in 2 factories, alongside capacity-building activities, he said.
National Project Coordinator Dr Mahfuzul Haque said Bangladesh's textile sector employed more than 3 million workers, many of whom were women. Workers were exposed to chemicals of concern and persistent organic pollutants, which studies have linked to reproductive health risks among both men and women, he added.
Dr Anton Purnomo, director of BCRC-SEA in Indonesia, said the project aimed to reach 10,000 direct beneficiaries across the region, 60% of whom would be women.
He outlined 3 priorities: gender-responsive occupational health and chemical safety, greater participation and opportunities for women, and sustainable interventions supported by measurable indicators and clear timelines.
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Md Saidur Rahman, additional secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the Environment Conservation Rules 2023 set standards for 15 chemicals across 13 industrial sectors, including textile dyeing and washing.
He said the government wanted to work with industries to reduce chemical use rather than rely solely on enforcement.
He also urged the Department of Environment to ensure that textile factories operated both biological and chemical effluent treatment plants (ETPs), noting that wastewater from dyeing and washing continued to pollute the Turag, Shitalakkhya and Buriganga rivers.
ESDO Senior Technical Adviser Professor Dr Shahriar Hossain said gender considerations should be addressed through equity and justice rather than focusing exclusively on women, as the project covered all workers, employees and management personnel exposed to chemicals.
He said the initiative did not seek to eliminate chemicals altogether or identify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) without laboratory testing. Instead, it assessed existing chemical use and piloted safer alternatives in selected factories to encourage a shift toward greener chemicals.
In his closing remarks, consultation moderator and Department of Environment Director Parvez Chowdhury said women accounted for nearly half of the textile workforce but remained underrepresented in chemical-intensive wet processing jobs.
“The solution is not to exclude women, but to make every workplace safe for them,” he said.
The consultation aimed to translate the gender assessment findings into a practical action plan with clear responsibilities, timelines, indicators and monitoring arrangements.
ESDO and its partners said the initiative sought to strengthen institutional accountability, improve women's access to safety measures and training, and promote their participation in occupational health and safety initiatives across Bangladesh's textile sector.