Women earn livelihoods through wig-making in Gaibandha

Around 370 women from five villages in two upazilas of Gaibandha have become financially solvent, with each earning at least Tk8,000 a month by making wigs, transforming their livelihoods and helping support their families.

Until recently, many of these women worked as domestic helpers or daily labourers, while others who had no employment opportunities struggled to survive in extreme hardship. Their financial conditions have improved after they became involved in wig-making, with many now earning around Tk10,000 a month, bringing greater stability to their households.

A wig-making factory named 'Satata Hair Processing' has been established in Khamar Boali village under Boali Union in Gaibandha Sadar upazila, about seven kilometres from the district town.

There are 350 women workers at the factory. Under the same enterprise, four more factories have been established at Tinmile and Badiakhali in Sadar upazila and at Kalirbazar and Madanerpara in Fulchhari upazila. A total of 780 women are working at these five factories.

According to the Satata Hair Processing office at Khamar Boali, Raju Ahmed, a resident of Dinajpur district, is the principal entrepreneur behind the production of hair caps. The initiative was first launched in Khamar Boali village in Gaibandha.

The hair used in wig-making is initially collected by small traders, who travel from village to village purchasing naturally shed hair from women in exchange for plastic household items, pickles and chocolates. The traders sell the collected hair to wholesalers in Dinajpur, where it undergoes primary processing at several factories.

The processed hair is then purchased by wig-exporting factories from the wholesalers at Tk10,000 per kilogramme and sent to China for further processing.

After secondary processing in China, the hair is shipped back to Bangladesh. The processed hair is imported from China at Tk60,000 per kilogramme. Chinese buyers then place orders according to market demand for the production of wigs.

The five factories in the two upazilas produce around 1,500 hair caps every month, which are exported to China every few months. Each cap generates a profit of Tk 200 to Tk 500 for the enterprise.

Women workers receive seven to 10 days of training before starting work. Each worker can produce between seven and 10 wigs, or hair caps, every month. Depending on the size of the cap, a woman worker earns between Tk500 and Tk2,000 for producing a single hair cap.

During a recent visit to the Satata Hair Processing factory in Khamar Boali village, women were seen working at different stages of wig production. Some supervised operations, while others measured hair and checked and received finished products. The workplace resembled a garment factory in its operation.

Rahela Khanam of Kheyaghat village under Boali Union was among the workers engaged in production. She belongs to a five-member family. Her father, Maruf Khan, cultivates land on a sharecropping basis, and the family has long struggled financially.

Rahela said she had been working at the factory for the past two months and was earning Tk 8,000 a month. After covering her educational expenses, she is also able to contribute to her family.

Rina Begum, 34, of Khamar Boali village, said she lives with her husband and three children in a five-member family. Her husband, Badsha Mia, works as a mason, but his income is insufficient to support the household. She therefore joined the wig-making factory and now earns between Tk 8,000 and Tk 10,000 a month.

Abdul Karim, who supervises the wig-making work, said women who previously worked as domestic helpers in other people's homes have now become self-reliant through this work.

Satata Hair Processing Manager Firoz Kabir said the enterprise is currently making only a modest profit.

He added that there are plans to establish another 20 to 25 factories if enough skilled workers become available in the area.