Female boss aims to change Bangladesh's garment factories
Rubana Huq says she will boost female leadership amid safety worries
Chennai — The first woman to head one of Bangladesh’s biggest garment associations said on Tuesday she would boost female leadership as most factory workers were women. Rubana Huq is MD of Mohammadi Group, which owns a string of factories supplying brands such as H&M and Primark in Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest garment exporter, employing 4-million people. “I believe that in an industry where more than 80% of the workers are women, they should be given a greater chance to voice their interests,” said Huq, new president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. “Today, the workforce is largely women but people in the managerial levels are mostly men. That needs to change.” In Bangladesh’s 4,500 factories, women have traditionally had to negotiate with male managers on pay, workplace safety and respect on the job. Huq wants to change this. Her election comes at a time as Bangladesh’s Supreme Court considers whether to shut down a factory-inspectio...
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