Getting women into formal employment is only the first step. Our evidence from over 6,000 sewing machine operators in 103 garment factories across Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan shows that substantial gender gaps persist even among men and women doing the same jobs in the same workplaces. While men and women are equally confident in their on-the-job skills, men are more likely than women to expect to become supervisors and to plan to apply for promotions. These gaps cannot be explained primarily by differences in education, experience, hours worked, family support, or concerns about long working hours. Instead, our findings point to lower aspirations among women, a greater perceived need for further training, and workplace practices and attitudes that may limit opportunities for career advancement. Closing gender gaps therefore requires moving beyond policies that focus only on getting women into jobs. Employers and policymakers must also address the individual and workplace barriers that prevent women from turning jobs into careers.
Breaking the Career Ceiling for Women in South Asia’s Garment Industry
A Study of Working Women in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan
- Farzana Afridi
- Raymond Robertson
- Danila Serra
- Vrinda V Chandra