Life and Struggle of Garment Workers
“I wanted to be an artist, drawing and making handicrafts. But my dream was destroyed—under the needle of the machine, under the rubble, and sometimes by fire.”
— Lija, a garment worker
In search of a better life, millions of workers leave their villages and move into crowded worker barracks in the cities of Bangladesh. Out of more than 4 million garment workers, over 80% are women. Among them are Lija, Modhumala, Shomapti, Masud, and Brojesshwar.
Whole communities of workers have formed around the large garment factories. From dawn to dusk, they labor tirelessly. Until 2013, their minimum monthly wage was only BDT 3,000 (less than $37). These workers do not dream of luxuries. Their dreams are simple: a plate of coarse rice, a piece of cloth, a small roof overhead. They dream of sending their children to school, hoping they can escape this cycle. Yet without alternatives, many children follow the same path.
What do they receive in return for these modest dreams? Why are their hopes so often shattered – by the daily grind, by a collapsing building or by fire?