Around 200,000 workers in about 150 ready-made garment factories marked International Women’s Day 2026 through rallies, seminars and workplace awareness activities on equality, harassment reporting and worker participation across RMG factories.
The activities took place on 8 March as part of a joint observance coordinated by Ethical Trading Initiative Bangladesh with participating factories. Workers and management took part in events on equality at work, reporting of discrimination and violence, and the role of workplace committees in complaint resolution.
Factories organised rallies inside and outside production premises. Workers carried banners, festoons, T-shirts and caps with messages on equality and respect at work. Message boards were placed in several factories where workers shared views on reducing harassment and discrimination.
Seminars and discussion sessions brought together workers and management representatives. The sessions discussed workplace practices that address discrimination and violence, strengthen communication between workers and management, and support the work of the Discrimination, Violence and Harassment Complaints Resolution Committee.
To support the observance, Ethical Trading Initiative Bangladesh shared awareness materials with participating factories. The materials included banners and a keynote paper outlining the history of International Women’s Day and its relevance to workers in the garment sector. Audio-visual materials, including songs and short videos on equality between women and men and gender-sensitive workplaces, were also shared for worker engagement.
Some factories recognised workers through awards such as best attendance, production and attitude. In several cases, operators moved into supervisory roles as part of efforts to increase women’s participation in factory leadership. Management teams in some factories also distributed flowers to women workers during the observance. The activities aimed to strengthen awareness on equality, workplace dignity and complaint reporting systems in the ready-made garment sector.
