Pathways to prosperity: A market linkage model for empowering skilled women in the RMG sector

Chances are, if you asked a random group of women garment workers in Dhaka Division about their hopes and dreams for retirement, you are most likely to see 90% of their eyes light up while they give a familiar answer -- someday, she'll return to her hometown, open her own business (a tailoring store or a small shop), and live peacefully with a secured livelihood for her family.

This story is ubiquitous amongst women RMG workers, but the exciting dream of returning home to build a sustainable livelihood remains out of reach. Many women are confined to garment sector jobs with limited growth opportunities, where long-term career or livelihood development is rarely envisioned. The lack of skills enhancement and career exploration embedded in their workplace is a key factor holding them back.

Beyond the skills needed to support their long-term entrepreneurial dreams, they need near-term training to adapt to factories' evolving technological demands and stay relevant as labor demands shift. They are seldom given this training, leaving them ill-equipped to compete in the labor market.

Women in the sector face significant educational disparities that factor into hiring decisions; 29% of female workers have incomplete or no primary education, compared to 18% of their male counterparts. Men also tend to operate a broader range of machinery, such as overlock, flatlock, and buttonhole machines, which enhances their employability and upward mobility. Being a multi-machine operator is the first step in a career path to an advanced machine role.

Persistent gender biases compound this skills gap. Entrenched perceptions about women's abilities further restrict their advancement into supervisory and managerial roles. Women occupy less than 15% of supervisory positions and a mere 5% of managerial roles. This reflects a biased systemic belief in the RMG sector that men are faster and more productive than women.

Women garment workers endure physically demanding jobs, often performing at peak capacity between 18 and 40. As they age, the grueling nature of their work becomes unsustainable, yet there is yet to be a pervasive, clear pathway out of the sector for them.

Living paycheck to paycheck leaves little room for future-proof planning, trapping many in a cycle of uncertainty. Breaking free from this cycle typically requires one of two options: enhancing their skills to become supervisors or venturing into entrepreneurship. Both pathways, however, come with significant challenges. A patchwork of factory—or donor-funded training programs is available for those pursuing supervisory roles. However, becoming a supervisor can lead to longer working hours without overtime pay, leaving women with less time for their families.

On the other hand, entrepreneurship education is another critical avenue for RMG workers, particularly women, to break free from systemic constraints. It fosters independence and resilience by preparing workers for private ventures and exposing them to real-life scenarios requiring problem-solving, risk-taking, and management. For example, teaching garment workers how to establish small tailoring businesses, manage supply chains, or launch digital fashion ventures can open new doors for wealth creation and long-term financial security. 

An entrepreneurial career path, however, demands financial risk. Women must either rely on loans or seek investments from their families or partners if personal savings are insufficient—an undertaking that carries no guarantee of success and can strain household dynamics.

The Oporajita: Collective Impact Initiative for the Future of Work in Bangladesh aims to address the critical need for sustainable livelihood development among women garment workers. Led by The Asia Foundation, the initiative unites 10 major impact development stakeholders to ensure women in the sector gain access to relevant skills and opportunities while fostering an enabling and inclusive environment that supports them as they grow. Oporajita, to date, has worked with 83771 community stakeholders, which includes Women Garment Workers, Caregivers, Children, Out of Work women and more. Oporajita's women workers secured a sustainable future, creating pathways that align with their aspirations and economic resilience and armed them with the skills needed in the market and seeks to take its proven model to broader scale.

Reimagining the Market Linkage Model for RMG Workers in Bangladesh

At its core, a market linkage model for RMG workers connects skills with opportunities—ranging from access to finance to capacity-building programs—seamlessly and effectively.

As Bangladesh positions itself within new, high-priority sectors—like electronics, automotive, and pharmaceuticals – workers from the RMG sector will need to reskill to support Bangladesh's broader economic diversification and resilience strategy -- and developing well-designed, accessible, empowering career pathways for them is imperative.

Gone are the days where we can jam hundreds of thousands more people through a technical training modality that has stayed the same for decades – the world simply moves too fast for that now, and the market typically outpaces the time it takes to change the curriculum to meet its needs – leaving employers feeling that job seekers don't have the skills the market demands and job seekers feeling let down when they receive that feedback.

Similar to the Skill India Digital Hub, which has built skill capacity in millions of adult workers through an internet connection, or Hilando Oportunidades, a digitally-led training program, Shimmy Technologies (Oporajita Partner) is helping to support Honduras's growth in the RMG sector, the embrace of digital tools and blended learning models can help regions achieve speed, scale, and accessibility in training programs. A digital module can be developed and distributed in seconds, ensuring speed, consistent quality, and lowered costs. In these two countries, certified training programs still provide a backbone, but digital tools work alongside classroom training to welcome more trainees in, allow them to review training content, and give them added encouragement like badges and micro-credentials so they can finish and get a job.

The last four years of training female RMG workers with advanced manufacturing skills for Oporajita have shown that women want more technical training but must balance household tasks before they have the time and space to go to a technical training center. Herein lies the opportunity Oporajita focuses on: How can a program centered on market linkages be developed that also addresses and prioritizes inclusivity?

For example, digital training tools appeal to women workers as lessons build on each other and can be bite-size enough to be done while waiting for water to boil on a stove. Similarly, weekend-based, fun, and engaging events such as Melas provide opportunities for women garment workers to explore sustainable entrepreneurship, participate in access-to-finance activities, and attend events focused on promoting social behavior change. These initiatives aim to support livelihood improvement, enhance social safety nets, and foster career development, without sacrificing their workdays.

As Trump's second term looms, supply chains are already reshuffling, and growth in manufacturing sectors outside China offers Bangladesh some exciting new potential. In this crucial moment where good, equitable design is critical, we humbly offer this advice as new leaders design programs to train the workers to capitalize on the new opportunities over the next decade.

1. Digital Transformation of Training Pathways

Training tools must incorporate digital and hands-on training to create resilient career pathways for women in the RMG sector. How can workers, often trained on machines from the 1960s, be expected to operate advanced equipment in factories with digital control screens?

Women garment workers with acquired skills should be able to transition seamlessly into other sectors where their expertise is equally valued. The key to effective market linkage lies in equipping these workers with transferable skills that are adaptable across industries, digitally relevant, and central to fostering agency in livelihood planning.

2. Investment in Digital Credentials and Industry Partnerships

Digital credentials are critical in securing quality employment and higher wages for women. Industry partners must recognize these local and international credentials to facilitate smoother transitions into new roles. Partnerships between the government, industry, and educational institutions can reinforce these credentials and ensure they meet rapidly changing job market standards.

3. Preparing for Supply Chain Resilience amid Market Shifts

With potential disruptions due to geopolitical factors on the horizon, a digitally transformed skill development framework offers Bangladesh the agility to adjust its workforce composition in response to changing demands. By supporting flexible and scalable training solutions, the RMG sector can create pathways that allow women workers to pivot across roles or sectors as automation lessens production jobs in RMG. Still, new sectors offer new opportunities for displaced workers.

Furthermore, training programs that carry a dual focus—on universally applicable skills and entrepreneurial potential—create a foundation for economic resilience and broader career possibilities for women garment workers. 

4. Addressing Inclusivity for a Broader Workforce 

In Honduras, Shimmy sends testimonial videos of female advanced machine operators to learners on our app. Seeing a female role model has increased the number of women taking the Industry 4.0 training to reach gender parity, which is much higher than industry averages. Expanding pathways within the RMG sector must feature role models for marginalized and underserved groups, as their example and mentorship are essential to encouraging people to complete the training and get hired.

As Bangladesh continues its economic diversification and resilience journey, the focus on digitally transformed, flexible training pathways will be vital for supporting the upward mobility of skilled women in the RMG sector and beyond. With collective efforts from the government, industry, and educational institutions, these initiatives can help bridge gaps, support women workers, and reinforce Bangladesh's economic strength and commitment to equality on the global stage.

Sarah Krasley is the CEO of Shimmy Technologies

Samiur Rahman is a monitoring and evaluation coordinator and data analyst at Oporajita, The Asia Foundation

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