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Prevalence of Suicide Thoughts and Behaviours among Female Garment Workers Who Survived the Rana Plaza Collapse: An In-Depth Inquiry

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  • Humayun Kabir

    (School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
    Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh)

  • Myfanwy Maple

    (School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia)

  • Md Shahidul Islam

    (School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia)

  • Kim Usher

    (School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia)

Abstract

The Rana Plaza building collapse occurred on 24 April 2013 in Savar, near the capital city of Bangladesh, killing more than 1130 garment workers and injured about 2500, mostly females. Those who survived face ongoing challenges, including socio-cultural constraints, economic hardship, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), depression, and critical health issues, which may lead to suicidal ideation and death. The aim of this article is to explore why and how female garment workers who survived the Rana Plaza collapse are now at risk of suicide thoughts and behaviours, and suicide death. Unstructured face-to-face interviews were held from April to July 2018 with 11 female garment workers who survived the Rana Plaza building collapse. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim while simultaneously being translated into English from Bengali/Bangla. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed. The study found that all participants were living with multiple risk factors of suicidal ideation (including low socio-economic status, poverty, social stigma, psychological distress, and trauma) which the participants directly linked to the collapse of the Rana Plaza building. Our analysis uses the three-step theory of suicide (3ST, Klonsky & May, 2015) to understand female Rana Plaza survivors’ suicide risk. Female survivors’ overall vulnerability requires urgent attention while taking the socio-cultural setting of Bangladesh into account. In addition, a lifelong caring system (combining financial security and free healthcare) needs to be initiated to accommodate the female survivors with mainstream society to avoid possible future suicides. They require long-term social and economic security and psychological support.

Suggested Citation

  • Humayun Kabir & Myfanwy Maple & Md Shahidul Islam & Kim Usher, 2021. "Prevalence of Suicide Thoughts and Behaviours among Female Garment Workers Who Survived the Rana Plaza Collapse: An In-Depth Inquiry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6326-:d:573072
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rashedur Chowdhury, 2017. "Rana Plaza Fieldwork and Academic Anxiety: Some Reflections," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(7), pages 1111-1117, November.
    2. Humayun Kabir & Myfanwy Maple & Md Shahidul Islam & Kim Usher, 2019. "The Current Health and Wellbeing of the Survivors of the Rana Plaza Building Collapse in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Noemi Sinkovics & Samia Ferdous Hoque & Rudolf R. Sinkovics, 2016. "Rana Plaza collapse aftermath: are CSR compliance and auditing pressures effective?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(4), pages 617-649, May.
    4. Shumona Sharmin Salam & Olakunle Alonge & Md Irteja Islam & Dewan Md Emdadul Hoque & Shirin Wadhwaniya & Md Kamran Ul Baset & Saidur Rahman Mashreky & Shams El Arifeen, 2017. "The Burden of Suicide in Rural Bangladesh: Magnitude and Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, September.
    5. Javed Siddiqui & Shahzad Uddin, 2016. "Human rights disasters, corporate accountability and the state," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(4), pages 679-704, May.
    6. Breeda Comyns & Elizabeth Franklin-Johnson, 2018. "Corporate Reputation and Collective Crises: A Theoretical Development Using the Case of Rana Plaza," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 159-183, June.
    7. Christopher Adam Bagley & Afroze Shahnaz & Padam Simkhada, 2017. "High Rates of Suicide and Violence in the Lives of Girls and Young Women in Bangladesh: Issues for Feminist Intervention," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-17, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Syadani Riyad Fatema & Kylie Rice & Adam Rock & Md Shahidul Islam & Leah East & Kim Usher, 2023. "Physical and mental health status of women in disaster-affected areas in Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 117(3), pages 2715-2733, July.
    2. Humayun Kabir & Myfanwy Maple & Md. Shahidul Islam & Kim Usher, 2022. "The Paradoxical Impacts of the Minimum Wage Implementation on Ready-made Garment (RMG) Workers: A Qualitative Study," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 65(2), pages 545-569, June.
    3. Robayet Ferdous Syed & Kazi Tanvir Mahmud & Ridoan Karim, 2024. "Do Labour Welfare Policies Matter for Workers? Evidence from the Garment Supply Chain Industry in Bangladesh," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 67(1), pages 237-253, March.

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