Women’s Economic Empowerment : A Case Study in Bangladesh Garment Industry

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine how a foreign direct business investment by a Japanese garment company in Bangladesh can affect women’s economic empowerment. The study also aimed to bring understanding on factors that need to be fulfilled in order to obtain economic empowerment and how it affect women’s life situation. This paper is based on a case study with sixteen interviewed women working in the production and two men from the management at a factory in Bangladesh. The result of the research indicates that economic empowerment is reached when national regulations and policies encourage foreign investments and when social capital is available during the business setup. Appropriate matching of human, financial and physical capital is important and when the necessity of economic means triggers women to search for an employment. The employed women at the garment factory told about positive affects on their life situation. Mentioned affects were higher living standards, access to education for children and more personal freedom. The married women in this study had a higher degree of economic empowerment then unmarried women. The reason is that married women together with their husbands decides over the utilization of the income whereas unmarried women devolved their income to their parents.