IFC-ILO assessment finds training support for women in garment factory supervisory roles boosts productivity. The assessment, conducted by the University of Oxford and the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, focused on Better Work’s GEAR program funded by the European Union and was presented in Dhaka.
Assessment across 27 garment factories in Dhaka and Chattogram highlights the GEAR program’s positive impact on line efficiency and gender equality. The program partnered with major apparel brands to ensure successful implementation and promotion rates.
Since 2016, more than 600 female operators in 78 factories have received training in technical and supervisory skills. The training program has achieved a completion rate of 90 per cent, with two-thirds of participants being promoted to supervisory roles.
Those who have advanced to supervisory positions are earning 40 per cent more than their peers who did not receive the training, indicating the potential for further promotions within the management hierarchy.
According to Christopher Woodruff, the lead researcher of the study and a professor of development economics at the University of Oxford, “GEAR trainees have demonstrated higher effectiveness as supervisors. The lines managed by these trainees have shown a 4 per cent greater efficiency, and this gap continues to widen with their supervisory experience.”
The study reveals that sewing operators working on lines managed by GEAR trainees experience higher levels of well-being and more satisfactory working environments. This positive outcome is attributed to the cooperative and supportive management style exhibited by the GEAR trainee supervisors.
