“He calls me madam at work so that my male subordinates would respect me,” Mosammat Sharifunnahar Shilpi quipped about her husband, Shahjahan Ali. 

Shilpi is in charge of the Cutting Section at Alim Knit BD, a ready-made garment (RMG) factory located in the industrial district of Gazipur in central Bangladesh. Her husband, Shahjahan Ali works as a supervisor in the same section and reports to her. 

Shilpi started working as a helper in the garment industry while still a student. Helpers work at the lowest rung of garment factories assisting the sewing operators. Shilpi’s first workplace allowed her time-off during school exams. Hailing from a poor family, Shilpi continued to work in various factories as she continued schooling. 

In 2019, at the age of 26, Shilpi joined Alim Knit BD as a supervisor. She was promoted after one and a half years to become the Cutting In-charge. Inspired by Shilpi’s performance, Alim Knit management recently hired seven more women employees in the cutting section, which is commonly seen as a man’s domain in the Bangladeshi garment industry. 

Md Ariful Islam, the Manager of Compliance and Fire Safety at Alim Knit BD said that his company nurtures and recognises the performance of women employees. “Our human resource and welfare teams regularly speak with women workers to know about their interest in leadership. If they are willing to step up, our planning and production team trains them and conducts evaluation. If a woman has the capacity and interest, we will promote her to be the production manager.” 

“On a day-to-day basis, I choose samples and patterns according to the requirement of buyers. Then I adjust the fabric with the shape cut ruler and explain the task to the Cutting Supervisor,” says Shilpi. 

The Cutting Supervisor, Shahjahan Ali – her husband, holds a post-graduate degree and previously worked as a manager at a prominent non-governmental organisation. He has no qualms about working under the leadership of his wife.  

“I feel proud of Shilpi and encourage her to go as far as she wants,” he says. 

Shilpi is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Textile Engineering and attends classes on weekends. Her dream is to become the General Manager of a garment factory someday.  

Alim Knit BD is affiliated with Better Work Bangladesh (BWB), a flagship programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC).  

BWB strives to improve working conditions and productivity in the garment sector. With women making up 50% of its beneficiary group in factories, BWB spearheads initiatives such as Gender Equality and Return (GEAR) which aims to promote more women in supervisory roles, and Maternity Protection which facilitates conducive work environment for new and expecting mothers. 

These initiatives translate into benefits for businesses as they experience productivity gains by as much as 5% on lines supervised by women, and lower rates of absenteeism and turnover among workers. 

Alim Knit BD has completed five years with BWB receiving assessment, advisory and training services from the programme.