Project presentation
ActionAid France is mobilizing to ensure respect for the rights of women workers in Bangladesh. In particular, it advocates for better prevention of gender-based and sexual violence (GBV) in textile factories whose production is largely exported to France. ActionAid France notably took part in the advocacy efforts that led to France ratifying the 190th Convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on violence and harassment in the world of work on April 12, 2023. The association now calls for the necessary measures to be implemented to ensure its application in companies sourcing from Bangladesh, and for Bangladesh itself to ratify the convention.
These advocacy efforts to improve the prevention of GBV in Bangladesh’s textile factories are at the core of the project led by ActionAid France and its partner ActionAid Bangladesh. In addition, the project strengthens the capacity of women workers to organize and claim their rights.
Around ten Women Workers’ Cafés are run by ActionAid Bangladesh and are located in the industrial suburbs of cities where factories are based. Attended by about 80% women, these spaces allow workers to meet, learn about their rights, and organize to defend them. The Women Workers’ Cafés enable women to break their isolation, come together, access information, and build collective strength to claim their rights.
