Menstrual health crisis in Bangladesh’s garment factories

Access to menstrual health services has a significant impact on the well-being and productivity of female garment workers. Photo: TBS

"Talking about periods is still very embarrassing; hence, we seldom ask for anything, even if we need it," a female garment worker in Savar said when I conducted a field study for a research project.

It was a comparative study between export-oriented and local RMGs at Mirpur and Savar. I found that menstrual health remains one of the biggest challenges for female workers. Some export-orientated factories have subsidised sanitary napkins and medical leave in case of severe menstrual issues.

However, many workers still use unsanitary materials while on their period because of the inability to access sanitary products consistently. A female worker revealed, "I use old rags during my period because the sanitary napkins are just so expensive, even with the factory discount."

They also complained about a lack of knowledge of menstrual hygiene, especially in small factories with no such training available.

Menstrual hygiene management varies significantly across factories. Some export-orientated factories are taking steps to address this; however, local factories still leave workers exposed to health risks by neglecting proper menstrual hygiene practices.

Impact of menstrual health and hygiene services

Access to menstrual health services has a significant impact on the well-being and productivity of female garment workers, especially in export-orientated factories where these services are more consistently available.

In some of these factories, for example, workers reported having access to subsidised sanitary napkins and the possibility of taking leave during severe menstrual cases. These services help reduce the challenges of menstruation, allowing workers to maintain better hygiene, focus on their work, and worry less about their menstrual health.

Its positive impact has already been evident—workers' health improved, and they feel much more comfortable now. With proper menstrual hygiene products available, women can manage their menstruation better and reduce the risk of infections and discomfort from using unsuitable materials.

Nevertheless, despite the development of export-orientated factories to some extent, there is still a major shortcoming in the provision of all-around menstrual hygiene management (MHM) support.

In some of these factories, although sanitary items are available, they are not consistently affordable or accessible to all the workers. For instance, some factories may offer subsidised sanitary napkins to their employees, but the price remains relatively high for a majority of low-paid workers, compelling them to resort to unhygienic methods such as wearing rags.

The impact of poor menstrual health services, however, is mostly reflected in the local garment factories, with either very negligible or no access to sanitary napkins.

This may involve the use of unhygienic materials for managing the menstrual cycle in these factories; old cloth or rejected fabric probably results in a number of health complications: infections, pain, or even missing working hours. Lack of proper menstrual hygiene products leads to poor health conditions and reduced productivity.

Also, the absence of education or awareness programs concerning menstrual hygiene negatively contributes to workers' potential, especially in local factories. Many of them do not know how to maintain good menstrual health, which increases risks concerning health that arise with menstruation and limits their ability to lobby for better support.

Barriers to accessing menstrual health and hygiene services

Access to menstrual health services is often limited in local garment factories, which are typically under-resourced and lack awareness about proper menstrual hygiene management.

One of the main barriers is a lack of access to affordable sanitary products. In most local factories, sanitary napkins are not available. In the absence of such subsidisation or free provision, women use unhygienic alternatives—incorrectly wiping themselves with rags or clothes—causing infections and long-term health problems. 

Without subsidisation or free provision of sanitary products, the workers bear the financial cost of managing menstruation—most of them at the cost of ignoring more vital needs.

Besides the economic barrier, another significant factor is the absence of organised educational and awareness programs on menstrual hygiene. 

Most female workers remain unaware of proper menstrual hygiene practices. No efforts have been made toward saving them with this crucial information. Therefore, they persist in their unsafe methods due to ignorance of further dangers.

"No one talks about menstrual health here. We just do what we know, even if it's not the best," a local worker told me.

Even in export-orientated factories, which provide sanitary napkins at subsidised rates, erratic availability or improper access to them is not unheard of.

There is a case of issuing small quantities by factories, creating shortages in periods of higher demand. This inconsistency leaves workers without the necessary products when they need them most, forcing them to revert to less sanitary alternatives.

These barriers are worsened by the cultural taboo and stigma surrounding menstruation, causing many women to feel uncomfortable discussing their menstrual health or asking for sanitary products. The same stigma also prevents workers from asking for better services or at least for what they need.

So, the challenges faced by female garment workers largely stem from local factories, where economic, educational, and cultural hurdles together impede sufficient menstrual health management.

Sketch: TBS

Md Ariful Islam is a social researcher. He is working as a Young Fellow at Oxfam in Bangladesh and also serving as a young researcher at Share-Net Bangladesh.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.