Sexual Harassment of Female Workers at Manufacturing Sectors in Bangladesh

Women's participation in the national work force is increasing rapidly in Bangladesh. Most of the women are migrated from village to an industrial area for employment, and they are mostly poor and illiterate. The number of female worker in many manufacturing sectors in Bangladesh are comparatively higher than men, and their contribution to GDP is remarkable. However, violence against women at work is an emerging issue globally. Bangladesh is also having the same scenario since it is mainly a dominating male nation. This paper aims to identify the current status and nature of sexual harassment of female workers in Bangladesh. Six In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) have been conducted among the female workers work in tannery, RMG, and leather footwear manufacturing sectors in Bangladesh. Both IDIs and FGDs are interaction-based, and participants are allowed to do open discussion free from interruption as recommended by Yin (2003). Findings of the study indicate that working women are always in fear of losing their sexual safety and security. Female workers in Bangladesh are not safeguarded by the management in general.