Women's Employment - United Nations Research Institute for Social ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Women’s employment in the textile manufacturing sectors of Bangladesh and Morocco of the sample workers bargained for overtime, here too the share of women workers from garment factories is much higher (13 per cent) than their male colleagues (8 per cent) or women in other manufacturing units (3 per cent). The low wages of female garment workers and greater assignment of night duty might have prompted such demands. Although gaps between male and female garment factory workers who bargained for higher wages, paid leave and change in night shift are narrow, they nonetheless demand some explanation. Education is often considered a means to raise the level of workers’ consciousness. Although the average male worker has a higher level of education than a woman, the latter has a longer length of service in the same factory than the former (Table 15). Hence longer length of service of female workers might have encouraged them to demand better terms and conditions almost at par with their male colleagues. More than 90 per cent of the sample workers, irrespective of gender and type of factory, applied for better terms and conditions with the help of supervisors. They did not involve unions or other influential sources such as employers’ agents in making their demands. As garment factories operate by the private entrepreneurs purely with a profit motive, lack of discipline on the part of workers is not tolerated. Given the heavy competition for wage employment, the workers generally abide by existing rules and regulations of the factory (see Kahn, this volume). 2. Results of bargaining As regards outcome, excepting their lower wages, women are in a slightly better position in comparison to their male counterparts. For example, paid leave was granted to 80 per cent of female and 73 per cent of male workers in the garment factories (Table 15). The corresponding figures for other manufacturing units are 96 and 87 per cent respectively. Similarly, one fifth of the women workers who demanded overtime were granted it, whereas none of their male counterparts received a positive outcome in this regard. Conversely, more women were denied higher wages (70 per cent) than their male colleagues (64 per cent). However, on the whole, the difference between men and women workers with regard to outcome is marginal. It would be difficult to explain the employer’s justification for conceding or rejecting demands without a case by case examination, although clearly questions of profit margin and the dictates of buyer’s schedule come into play. However, even once a demand is acceded 134
Gender dimensions of labour migration in Dhaka city’s formal manufacturing sector to, enforcement remains a problem. This is especially pertinent in the area of paid leave. For example, nearly one third of respondents experienced a salary cut for taking a leave of absence, mainly due to sickness. The burden in this regard falls more heavily on women (34 per cent) compared to their male counterparts (20 per cent). Women workers are more susceptible to sickness and fatigue arising from their double burden of domestic responsibilities and paid employment. There is also some evidence to suggest higher incidence of morbidity as a function of the systematic deprivation in food entitlements in childhood. In another survey (Afsar, 1998b) the author found that women take significantly greater amounts of time for sick leave, partly for their own illness but also to care for sick family members. Women were more likely to take sick leave for the care of other family members than men. This points to the importance of entitlements to paid sick leave for workers and, because of their double burden, particularly for women workers. The discussion above raises questions of unionization and worker-management relations which are examined in the chapter by Khan (this volume). Here it is sufficient to note that the merits of each demand are examined informally and unilaterally by employers; hence the interests of the workers may not necessarily be protected. The present study revealed some encouraging trends, nonetheless. A large number of women bargained for better work conditions at par with their male counterparts and the outcome did not differ much along gender lines. However, women still suffer a higher incidence of salary cuts due to a greater propensity to take sick leave. Research on the types of diseases suffered by women and their children should also be undertaken in order to develop appropriate policy measures. 3. Living arrangements of migrant women in urban society 12 Apart from a few exceptions, female garment factory workers do not get lodging from their factory. Living with family members and relatives is still most common among migrant female workers in garment factories (Table 16). Three quarters of them live either in their own nuclear units or as a member of the extended family nexus. The remaining one quarter of those workers either live in sub-let arrangements (16 per cent) or in mess (9 per cent). Those who live in sub-let arrangements either live with siblings and cousins (42 per cent) or co-workers (42 per cent). A few also live with single parents. In 135
Page 1 and 2:
Women’s Employment in the Textile
Page 3 and 4:
This United Nations Research Instit
Page 6:
Acknowledgements Many people have b
Page 9 and 10:
notwithstanding the inertia of the
Page 11 and 12:
Carol Miller is a policy analyst on
Page 13 and 14:
xii VII. Contribution of different
Page 15 and 16:
Introduction 1 Introduction 1 Shahr
Page 17 and 18:
Introduction Table 1: Basic indicat
Page 19 and 20:
Introduction women have been tradit
Page 21 and 22:
Introduction The chapters on Bangla
Page 23 and 24:
Introduction occurs, on average, at
Page 25 and 26:
Introduction women workers related
Page 27 and 28:
Introduction in low-income countrie
Page 29 and 30:
Introduction by repaying their “d
Page 31 and 32:
Introduction participate in labour
Page 33 and 34:
Introduction their bargaining power
Page 35 and 36:
Introduction processing zones hypot
Page 37 and 38:
Introduction IV. The case studies T
Page 39 and 40:
Introduction experience in garment
Page 41 and 42:
Introduction V. Conclusion Although
Page 43 and 44:
Introduction improved technology. T
Page 45 and 46:
Introduction References Afsar, R. (
Page 47 and 48:
Introduction Household Power Relati
Page 49 and 50:
Wage discrimination by gender in Mo
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Gender and employment in Moroccan t
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98: Gender and employment in Moroccan t
Page 117 and 118: Gender dimensions of labour migrati
Page 121 and 122: Table 1: Total number of male and f
Page 143 and 144: Table 9: Distribution of the sample
Page 147: Gender dimensions of labour migrati
Page 165 and 166: Becoming a garment worker 5Becoming
Page 167 and 168: Becoming a garment worker garment w
Page 169 and 170: Becoming a garment worker Table 1:
Page 171 and 172: Becoming a garment worker view of t
Page 173 and 174: Becoming a garment worker that time
Page 175 and 176: Becoming a garment worker 2. “I e
Page 177 and 178: Becoming a garment worker out that
Page 179 and 180: Becoming a garment worker being. Th
Page 181 and 182: Becoming a garment worker support t
Page 183 and 184: Becoming a garment worker they firs
Page 185 and 186: Becoming a garment worker V. Conclu
Page 187 and 188: Becoming a garment worker is a job
Page 189 and 190: Becoming a garment worker Endnotes
Page 191 and 192: Becoming a garment worker Cole P. D
Page 193 and 194: Women’s employment in the textile
Page 199 and 200:
Women’s employment in the textile
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251 and 252:
Page 253 and 254:
Page 255 and 256:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
258 Women’s employment in the tex
Page 273 and 274:
260 Annex Table 2:Level of wages an
Page 275 and 276:
show all

Women's Employment - United Nations Research Institute for Social ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?