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Urban space is highly unequal, gendered, and divided. Urban policy and development planning often overlook the issue of food and water security for the most marginalized populations, who are often unregistered and considered as ‘temporary’ residents. In Bangladesh, the rural-urban migration of women is increasingly common. However, research on gender, food and water security in agricultural organizations often focuses on rural contexts where food is produced.
To address this cross-sectoral knowledge gap, the research project titled ‘Transforming the rules of the game: Gendered livability in peri-urban Dhaka’ was implemented in 2022, funded by the CGIAR GENDER Impact platform. This study focused on understanding peri-urban food and water systems for young women garment workers in Bangladesh.
At the end of the project implementation, the stakeholder consultation workshop was held on 12nd December 2022 in Dhaka with a total of 32 participants from the governments, local and international agricultural organizations, NGOs, universities, and the private sector. They brought varied expertise in areas including nutrition, food systems, environment, and urban development.
After the welcome speech by Dr. Debashish Chanda from International Potato Center, the main event started with a joint presentation by Professors Dr. Sadika Haque and Dr. Bentul Mawa from Bangladesh Agricultural University. They spoke about their research findings with an emphasis on the impact of climate change and urban migration on the food governance system. They explained that the women garment factory workers’ residential areas have very limited public services in terms of waste management, water supply and medical services. Such women also have various concerns, for example, increasing food prices and their very limited options for food markets, and time constraints for household chores.
The second presenter, Dr. Samina Lutfa from Bangladesh Agricultural University, showed how garment factory workers were involved in the global value chains that exploit women in the global south as cheap labour. She suggested that factory workers are easily replaceable and young women workers are exploited in the workplace. In the residential area too, they are very insecure in terms of clean water supply, food and nutrition. She also highlighted gender issues among garment workers such as women women being pressured to repay the debt of their family or in-laws. Such evidence indicates that women’s income earnings from factory jobs is not linked to women’s empowerment. Rather, it emphasizes gender inequality as patriarchal gender norms persist in both their workplace and the household.
The panel discussion section began with Dr. Rudaba Khondoker from GAIN. She highlighted the importance of gender that intersects with other social identities based on which women are differentiated. Some gender-based exclusion and marginalization in urban food systems could be improved by changing regulations, lows and policies. Raising the collective voices to policymakers is therefore very important. Sharifa Parvin from FAO introduced their project “Support for Modelling, Planning and Improving Dhaka’s Food Systemâ€. 85% of Dhaka’s residents depend on wet markets and therefore it is important to engage with city corporation to improve food systems. She also expressed her interest to work on gender in urban food systems with 12 collaborating partners who are implementing the project on gender inclusion in food systems in Dhaka city. Dr. Yunus from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies pointed out the vicious circle of child under-nutrition starting from women working in exploitative conditions, inadequate eating, and low salary. In current peri-urban factory working conditions women’s involvement in economic activities does not lead to their empowerment, which needs to be addressed.
The session moderator, Dr. Lutful Hasan, honorable vice chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University, appreciated the valuable insights provided by the presenters on gender, urban food insecurity, malnutrition, hidden hunger, limited governance and livability for RMG workers.
The workshop continued with group discussions and group presentations on specific topics including the need to establish a platform for gender and urban food system policy and inter-ministerial coordination, and gender sensitization in academia with gender as a compulsory subject for all.
The session moderator, Dr. Wajiha Khatun from IFPRI, commented that gender plays a key role in food system transformation. She emphasized that if women lose power in the food system, there will be a negative impact on the food system.
The honorable Director of IIFS thanked all the participants and ended the workshop session with concluding remarks. Participants agreed to continue to engage with this topic of gender and urban food systems through on-going research projects in Dhaka.
