Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund

TA 4320: Social Protection of Poor Female Workers in the Garment Sector in the Context of Changing Trade Environment - Bangladesh
Financed by Poverty Reduction Cooperation Fund

Project Summary

This TA will provide assistance to Bangladesh in achieving the goal of sustainable poverty reduction and gender and development by addressing in a timely manner the potential downside risks of a phase out of the Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA) at the end of 2004 on the female garment workers. Specifically, this TA will:

• Develop a human development strategy for the garment workers to cope with potential risks
• Build safety nets against ongoing and upcoming changes and facilitate reemployment of those retrenched
• Evaluate the upscaling potential of the pilot programs
• Support the Government and the ready-made garment industry with the implementation of the post-Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA) Strategy of the country.

This TA will produce three major outputs:

1. a strategy and detailed design for post-MFA human capacity development, labor market and social protection measures
2. female garments workers directly and indirectly benefiting from various pilot programs
3. capacity building among the Government and the ready-made garment industry workers in preparation for the post-MFA impacts.

A similar TA in Cambodia is being carried out and experience will be exchanged between the two countries.

• TA Paper
• Related Project
• Press Release