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Women Empowerment or Gender Equality: Which One Should Come First for Augmenting Satisfaction and Performance of Female Employees: A study on the Ready-made Garment Sector of Bangladesh

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  • Nusrat Fatema

    (Assistant Professor,Department of Business Administration,Stamford University Bangladesh.)

Abstract

In this era of globalization, numerous court rulings and laws have legitimized women empowerment and their right to be treated equally both at the society and at the workplace. Yet certain discriminatory behaviors remind females that they are not truly equal at the workplace. Ready-made Garments (RMG) sector, especially of a developing and a male dominated country like Bangladesh, is also not an exception to that. Although women empowerment and gender equality are interrelated concepts; this paper tried to find out among these two concepts which one should be emphasized to enhance the job-satisfaction and performance of the female employees' in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. Data were gathered following a quantitative survey by a structured questionnaire conducted among a diverse group of female employees (N = 350) working in 30 different ready-made garment factories of Bangladesh following convenience random sampling method. For analysis purpose, several statistical techniques have been applied using SPSS software. Based on the analysis it was found that gender inequality impedes women empowerment. This study, therefore, recommends that gender equality should be emphasized over women empowerment to augment the job satisfaction and performance of the female employees in the RMG sector of Bangladesh.

Suggested Citation

  • Nusrat Fatema, 2019. "Women Empowerment or Gender Equality: Which One Should Come First for Augmenting Satisfaction and Performance of Female Employees: A study on the Ready-made Garment Sector of Bangladesh," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 9(1), pages 08-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:lrc:larijb:v:9:y:2019:i:1:p:08-21
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sarah Mosedale, 2005. "Assessing women's empowerment: towards a conceptual framework," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(2), pages 243-257.
    2. Mahmud, Simeen, 2003. "Is Bangladesh Experiencing Feminization of the Labor Force?," Bangladesh Development Studies, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), vol. 29(1-2), pages 1-38, March-Jun.
    3. Andrea Cornwall & Nana Akua Anyidoho, 2010. "Introduction: Women's Empowerment: Contentions and contestations," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 53(2), pages 144-149, June.
    4. Kabeer, Naila, 2001. "Conflicts Over Credit: Re-Evaluating the Empowerment Potential of Loans to Women in Rural Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 63-84, January.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Employee Performance; Gender Equality; Job Satisfaction; Ready-Made Garment(RMG); SectorWomen Empowerment.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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