Early marriage and adolescent pregnancy remain widespread among the workers in the country鈥檚 readymade garment sector, an ICDDR,B study reveals.
The study titled 鈥楽exual and reproductive health and rights among female garment workers living in urban slums of Bangladesh: insights from a longitudinal cohort study鈥� was released on Monday at a seminar.
According to its findings, two out of every three female garment workers were married before turning 18, while nearly 65 per cent had their first pregnancy before they turned 18.
The findings of the study, conducted with support from Global Affairs Canada, were presented at a seminar at the Sasakawa Auditorium of the ICDDR,B head office in Mohakhali in the capital.
The report, drawing on a 24-month cohort study of women employed in the ready-made garment sector, also found that about one in three female workers experienced at least one unintended pregnancy, while one in four reported undergoing an abortion or menstrual regulation procedure.
The study was carried out between August 2022 and December 2024 in areas under the organisation鈥檚 Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System鈥� specifically in Dhaka鈥檚 Korail and Mirpur slums and Gazipur鈥檚 Tongi slum.
Surveys were conducted every six months with total 778 garment workers aged 15鈥�27 years participating as respondents.
Principal investigator of the study and ICDDR,B emeritus scientist Dr Ruchira Tabassum Naved said at the seminar that the life of earning women reflected a picture that was often contrary to what many thought it to be.
In a panel discussion followed by the presentation of the findings, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association joint secretary Farzana Sharmin, however, said that the findings did not represent the life of the workers of the export oriented factories.
Former director of Population Council Bangladesh Dr Ubaidur Rob mentioned that the national level contraceptive use was as same as that among the RMG workers at 64 per cent, which he said was not up to the expected level.
Former executive director of Marie Stopes Bangladesh Yasmin H Ahmed said that supplying contraceptive items in factories could improve the situation.
The research also explored the factors behind adolescent pregnancy among the RMG workers.
RMG worker women having at least nine years of formal education and those marrying later faced a relatively lower risk of adolescent pregnancy, according to the findings.
Beginning contraceptive use before the first pregnancy reduced the risk by 47 per cent, while starting work in the garment sector before the first pregnancy was also found to be protective as it delayed pregnancy.
Conversely, women experiencing violence by their husbands faced a 26 per cent higher risk of adolescent pregnancy, according to the study findings.
The research also found that awareness of long-acting family planning methods that gave protection for longer terms rose from 49 per cent at the start of the study to 70 per cent during the two-year follow-up.
Knowledge of emergency contraceptive pills also increased during this period, from 15 per cent to 39 per cent, while positive attitudes towards gender equality in family planning rose from 54 per cent to 71 per cent.
The study also highlighted the extent of violence faced by female workers, both at home and at work.
Reports of violence against women by husbands were high in the past 12 months, and all forms of violence except sexual violence increased over the study period.
Psychological violence in the workplace rose from 48 per cent at the start of the study to 55 per cent after two years.
Factory support services for female workers were found to be minimal.
While some factories offered counselling on sexual and reproductive health, essential supplies were scarce: only 22 per cent provided sanitary pads, and just 14 per cent supplied family planning materials.
