71% RMG workers maintain family planning: Survey
52% use contraceptive pills, 30% use contraceptive injection, 9% use condom
Around 71% married female garment workers, having reproductive age and ability, maintain active family planning strategies.
Among them, 52% use contraceptive pills, 30% use contraceptive injection, 9% use condoms and 7% use traditional methods such as withdrawal or calendar method, finds a survey.
The South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem) and the Microfinance Opportunities (MFO) conducted the survey on family planning and menstrual health of female garment workers in Bangladesh.
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A total of 886 female RMG workers from Chattogram, Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar took part in the survey, says a press release.
Among other family planning strategies, such as the use of an IUD, permanent surgery, or implant were each used by less than 1% of female respondents, according to the study.
The survey found that around 44% female garment workers use clean cloth during menstruation. Around 34% female RMG workers use pad, 7% have no menstruation, 5% have no menstruation due to contraception, 3% use garments or other clothes, 3% use nothing, 2% use toilet tissue, 2% use other things and 1% use cotton.
The press release says the survey on family planning and menstrual health of female RMG workers has been conducted as part of a project titled "Garment Worker Diaries" that collect regular, credible data on the work hours, income, expenses, and financial tool use of workers in the global apparel and textile supply chain in producing countries.
The objective of the project is to have data-driven government policy decisions, collective bargaining, and factory and brand initiatives related to improving the lives of garment workers.
The project began in 2016 when Microfinance Opportunities, a global non-profit, in collaboration with local research firms in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia, collected data from 180 women in each country every week for a year. The goal of the project is to collect and disseminate Diaries' data in five producing countries by 2021. It is expected that the data will result in a major improvement in the transparen
