ETI Bangladesh held an online Learning Sharing Platform meeting on 31 May 2025. The meeting aimed to strengthen the role of Sexual Harassment Complaint Committee (SHCC) members for safer workplaces.
Representatives from 37 ready-made garments (RMG) factories participated in this meeting.
Key objectives of this discussions included listening to the voices of new SHCC members, worker's safety and security concern during Eid vacation, reducing post-Eid absenteeism, quarterly action plan and delving into the principles of a victim-centric approach in addressing workplace harassment and violence.
Sunjida Khatoon, Senior Programme Officer, Workplace Programme, moderated the session. Ahmed Abu Sufian, Programme Coordinator, Workplace Programme, presented on the Victim-Centric Approach. He stressed the importance of dignity, confidentiality, and survivor empowerment in complaint handling.
Part of the session involved breakout room activities. Participants divided into groups. They shared experiences using victim-centric principles during investigations of gender-based violence complaints at factory level. Each group engaged in reflection and knowledge exchange. Discussions ranged from challenges such as fear of retaliation and cultural stigma to actionable ideas like policy revision, investing resources to comply with all the principles, capacity-building training, and enhancing access to referral support services. Participants also emphasised the need to build the capacity of management and committee members together.
The breakout findings laid the foundation for planning the next SHCC quarterly action plan, focusing on sustainable, victim-sensitive grievance redressal mechanisms in complaint handling aligned with organisational practices and policies. The ETI team also facilitated the planning discussion, linking it to field realities and participant insights.
Before closing, Masangmi Rakhin, Senior Programme Officer, Workplace Programme, led discussion on safety and security measures during Eid vacation. She covered support for worker travel plans with precautionary guidance. She also addressed ways to reduce post-Eid absenteeism.
The meeting closed with recognition of participant involvement. It reaffirmed the joint commitment to safer, inclusive workplaces in the RMG sector.
