ETI Bangladesh celebrates 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is an annual global campaign aiming at eliminating all forms of gender based violence. In Bangladesh RMG sector, where around 60% of the workforce is female, this campaign is of utmost importance. Like previous years, ETI Bangladesh took several initiatives to celebrate the campaign. The distinctive feature of this year’s initiatives is to collaborate with IndustriAll Bangladesh Council-IBC and supporting the women committee of the IBC in planning and implementing activities marking the campaign. Other STITCH consortium members (FWF and M-FNV was also duly involved.

ETI’s activities in this regard started with organizing a webinar on celebrating of UN 16 days of activism. As preparation of the celebration, ETI Bangladesh organized a consultation webinar with factories jointly with the Fair Wear Foundation. In the webinar, participants discussed the importance of the occasion and potential activities to take on. A total of 197 participants (35 female, 162 male) from 103 garment factories in Bangladesh participated and shared their experiences. The participants expressed their commitments in celebrating the campaign in their respective factories and later they celebrated the campaign, which will be continued till 10 December.

Sharing of ETI IEC materials with factories and federations along with providing technical and advisory support to factories in running the campaign is an important support from ETI’s side. ETI shared their existing audio songs and video clips on GBV and gender sensitivity with factories, brands and federations.  ETI also developed a brand-new poster and that among factories on this occasion. The poster was developed jointly by ETI Bangladesh, Fair Wear Foundation, Mondiaal FNV and IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC).  The objective of the poster printing was to aware factory workers and other employees with positive thoughts on gender equality at the factory level. These posters were distributed to 43 factories for hanging on different major places in the factory level. ETI Bangladesh also distributed the poster with IBC’s 15 women federations and brands like INDITEX and PRIMARK. This awareness campaign reached more than 75 thousand people working in those factories.

ETI Bangladesh, jointly with Mondiaal FNV, organized a workshop on UN 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence with the women committee of the IBC. 15 representatives from the forum attended this meeting and exchanged opinions. The workshop decided on doing specific activities with support from ETI. The two major such activities that have been implemented successfully are –

1. Press conference: In the press conference, IBC women leaders made several demands including ratification of ILO C-90, ending all forms of GBV in workplace, establishing day care centre and breastfeeding corners in all factories etc.
2. Mobile rally on trucks aiming at mass awareness on GBV – The rally displayed ETI posters along with other relevant banners and festoons, played awareness raising songs and delivered awareness raising speeches on the streets and at factory gates.