The hidden mental health crisis of Bangladesh’s women garment workers

It is early morning and the factory floor is already buzzing with activity. Amid the noise and urgency, Rabeya quietly takes her seat at her sewing machine. She glances at the whiteboard above her production line, where the day's target is written in bold marker.

Throughout the day, she races against time to meet quotas. The pressure to perform, coupled with the fear of losing her job, steadily fuels her anxiety. Yet returning home does not bring rest. Cooking, cleaning and caregiving still await her. Sleep comes late and lightly.

Rabeya's story is not unique. It reflects the reality faced by millions of women in Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) sector, where mental health struggles often remain invisible beneath the pressures of factory work and household responsibilities.

A feminised industry carrying an invisible burden

According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), women account for around 80% of the country's four million garment workers — roughly 3.2 million people.

The industry continues to rely heavily on low-cost labour, particularly women from rural and low-income backgrounds with limited formal education.

Research published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2020 found that before entering the RMG sector, 42.1% of women workers performed unpaid family labour, 29.8% were unemployed and 23.2% were students. For 95% of them, garment work represented their first paid employment.

The sector has undoubtedly created opportunities for economic mobility and financial independence. However, despite earning comparatively higher wages than workers in many other low-skilled professions, female garment workers continue to face serious mental health challenges linked to workplace conditions, social pressures and separation from family support systems.

Depression remains one of the most common psychological concerns among female garment workers, often manifesting through stress, insomnia and feelings of hopelessness. Mood disorders, anxiety and workplace-related phobias are also widespread, driven by overwork, mistreatment, unsafe conditions and harassment.

For many women, the burden extends beyond the factory floor. Alongside demanding production schedules, they continue to shoulder most domestic responsibilities at home.

Between output and exhaustion

Garment factory work is intensely target-driven, with workers often evaluated based on hourly output. High production demands combined with limited control over working conditions create significant psychosocial stress.

Machine failures or delays in receiving materials — factors entirely outside workers' control — can still affect production targets, exposing workers to reprimands and anxiety.

During peak production periods, extended shifts and overtime become routine. Long working hours frequently lead to sleep deprivation, emotional exhaustion and chronic stress, leaving workers with little opportunity for recovery.

While employment has expanded women's economic participation, it has not significantly reduced expectations surrounding unpaid domestic labour.

After completing physically demanding factory shifts, many women return home to care for children, cook meals and manage household responsibilities. This "double burden" leaves little room for rest or self-care, intensifying both physical and emotional fatigue.

For many workers, even a single day of absence can disrupt fragile household finances. Delayed targets, illness or family emergencies may lead to salary deductions, increasing chronic financial stress.

This economic uncertainty often deepens anxiety and depression, particularly for workers who rely entirely on factory wages to support their families.

Many female workers also experience discrimination in promotions, compensation and access to better positions within factories.

Despite performing similar tasks, women frequently face slower career advancement and fewer leadership opportunities than their male counterparts. Such inequalities contribute to frustration, stress and declining morale.

Workplace harassment remains another major concern. Female workers often report verbal abuse, disrespectful behaviour and harassment from male colleagues or supervisors.

In some cases, power imbalances within factories create environments where women become vulnerable to sexual exploitation and intimidation.

For most women garment workers, mental health support remains either unavailable or inaccessible.

Long working hours and frequent overtime leave little time to seek professional help. Even when workers attempt to access healthcare services, the cost of treatment may equal a day's wages.

Although many factories maintain on-site clinics, these facilities often lack adequate staffing, equipment and funding. As a result, healthcare support is usually limited to treating minor illnesses such as coughs, fever or colds.

Access to specialised mental health services or affordable referrals to public hospitals remains limited and unclear.

Social stigma further discourages workers from seeking support. Fear of gossip, workplace consequences and social judgement often pushes women into silence. Concerns over privacy and the lack of confidential support systems only reinforce that reluctance.

Over time, silence itself becomes a coping mechanism.

Building support systems that work

Addressing mental health challenges in the RMG sector requires solutions that fit within workers' daily realities rather than adding further burdens.

Community-based awareness programmes and educational initiatives can help challenge gender norms and encourage greater sharing of domestic responsibilities within households.

Practical support measures such as affordable housing, childcare facilities and paid maternity leave could significantly reduce daily pressures on female workers.

Inside factories, fair production targets, respectful supervision, adequate breaks and greater worker participation in decision-making processes are equally important.

Mental health support must also become more accessible and confidential. Private counselling spaces, mobile support services, hotline assistance and clearer referral systems to affordable healthcare facilities could help workers seek support without fear of stigma or retaliation.

At the same time, labour protections surrounding overtime, compensation, harassment reporting and workplace safety must be properly enforced rather than remaining limited to policy documents.

Collaboration among factory owners, labour organisations, healthcare providers and policymakers could also improve funding for mental health services and strengthen training programmes aimed at recognising psychological distress in the workplace.

Ultimately, improving mental health conditions in the garment sector is not only a healthcare issue. It is also a question of dignity, workplace justice and sustainable labour practices in one of Bangladesh's most important industries.

Arsia Tabassum Kabbya is an Associate - Gender and Basic Services at Innovision Consulting. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.