Plan International webinar on RMG worker Covid-19 impact Wednesday

Renowned international NGO Plan International Bangladesh is set to organize a webinar to reveal the findings of three studies on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on readymade garment (RMG) workers on Wednesday.

Dhaka Tribune is the media partner for the event, titled “Study-sharing event: Impact of Covid-19 on RMG workers and policy analysis.” The webinar is scheduled to run from 7:00pm-8:45pm.

Honourable Secretary KM Abdus Salam of Ministry of Labour and Employment will be the chief guest at the webinar. Dr Rubana Huq, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and Nazma Akter, executive director of Awaj Foundation, will be special guests.

The discussions will be moderated by Dhaka Tribune Special Correspondent Tanim Ahmed, and the closing remarks will be delivered by Country Director Orla Murphy of Plan International Bangladesh.

Although the studies examined the impact of the pandemic on both male and female RMG workers, women were given more focus as a disproportionate number of them are affected by violence and harassment in the workplace.

The first study, titled “Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on youth female RMG workers: experience and mitigation strategies during the lockdown in the Dhaka city, Bangladesh,” was conducted in July this year. A second study titled “Covid-19 & women’s empowerment: A rapid analysis of the Bangladesh ready-made garment sector” was conducted in October.

Another study, titled “Policy analysis in reference to the ILO 190 convention,” was also conducted during the pandemic. The study aimed to understand the national policy and legislative framework about the ILO 190 convention and to formulate the key advocacy agenda of Plan International Bangladesh to ensure implementation of the convention in Bangladesh.