As part of its 25th anniversary programming, Nari Uddug Kendra convened a national workshop in Dhaka examining the organisation's three-decade engagement with Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) sector. The event brought together garment worker representatives, factory management, trade union leaders, and government policymakers for a shared review of progress and remaining gaps.
What the workshop covered
Discussions centred on the evolution of NUK's Garment Worker Support Program — from its origins providing direct, on-site health care inside factories in the early 1990s, through to its current focus on social compliance training and institutional capacity-building within factory management structures.
Panellists discussed how compliance expectations from international buyers have shifted over the decades, and what remains unresolved for workers despite improved formal standards — including gaps in enforcement, wage transparency, and grievance mechanisms.
Looking forward
The workshop concluded with a shared commitment from factory representatives and worker advocates to deepen the institutionalisation of compliance practices, building on NUK's role in coalitions such as the Social Compliance Initiative Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Garment Workers Protection Alliance.