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Female Workers’ Skills, Wages, and Householding in Bangladesh’s Readymade Garment Industry: The Case of a Japanese Multinational Company

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  • Hanako Nagata

Abstract

The economic relationship between Japan and Bangladesh has grown stronger since the global financial crisis of 2008, with Bangladesh being identified as ‘China plus one’ by the Japanese companies. These companies have accordingly begun transferring the capital from China to Bangladesh to avoid political and social risks in China. This article examines the skills, wages, and householding of female Bangladeshi readymade garment workers, focussing on a Japanese multinational company’s international transfers and business activities in Bangladesh since the global financial crisis. This study yielded three main findings. First, it identified the structure of the division of labour involved in the production of pairs of short pants exported to Japan. Second, it compared 20 female operators’ wage assessments to those of the overall labour force, based on their skills and experience, and pointed out ambiguous and unfounded issues caused by the gender-asymmetrical workforce deployment of Bangladeshi factories. This gender-asymmetrical system is responsible for Bangladeshi female workers’ low wages. Finally, despite their low wages, the analyzed Bangladeshi women were found to share multiple household reproduction costs through remittances and perform most of the housework and care work in the household. JEL: B54, F23, F66, O53

Suggested Citation

  • Hanako Nagata, 2020. "Female Workers’ Skills, Wages, and Householding in Bangladesh’s Readymade Garment Industry: The Case of a Japanese Multinational Company," Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, , vol. 32(1), pages 47-74, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jinter:v:32:y:2020:i:1:p:47-74
    DOI: 10.1177/0260107919875571
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Naila Kabeer & Simeen Mahmud, 2004. "Globalization, gender and poverty: Bangladeshi women workers in export and local markets," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(1), pages 93-109.
    2. Naved, Ruchira & Rahman, Tabassum & Willan, Samantha & Jewkes, Rachel & Gibbs, Andrew, 2018. "Female garment workers’ experiences of violence in their homes and workplaces in Bangladesh: A qualitative study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 150-157.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bangladesh; readymade garment industry; female worker; Japanese multinational company; division of labour; householding;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B54 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Feminist Economics
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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