By Anna Bedal
Faculty mentor: Dr. Surupa Gupta
10:00-10:50am, HCC 327
My research project is called “Political Mobilization in the Garment Industry: A Comparison of Bangladesh and Vietnam.” I produced this research as part of an independent study with Dr. Gupta in spring of 2022. My research examines the triangular relationship between the garment industry, the state, and women garment workers in Bangladesh and Vietnam. I chose Bangladesh and Vietnam as case studies because both countries have prominent garment industries of similar sizes that have contributed to rapid and sustained economic growth. The garment industry has a similar structure in both countries, and the governments of both Bangladesh and Vietnam value their garment industries and seek to protect them. In both countries, the garment industry employs a large number of workers, the vast majority of whom are women who share similar demographic profiles. Women workers face unique challenges in both Bangladesh and Vietnam, which affects the ways in which they engage in work and advocate for their interests. Women workers in both countries do mobilize to advance their interests; however, they mobilize in very different ways.
I argue that differences in mobilization can be attributed to differences in the political systems of Bangladesh and Vietnam. Vietnam is a one-party authoritarian state, while Bangladesh is a liberal democracy. As a result, Bangladesh allows for things like independent unionization and a free press, while Vietnam does not. These factors affect the way in which women workers mobilize.
