Women’s Labor in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka: The Trade-off with Technology

Abstract

The manufacturing and service sectors in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have grown as a result of the globalization strategies of the two governments. The use of new technologies in work processes has been a function of the countries’ participation in global trade, and high levels of foreign direct investment have been the source of much job creation.

In both countries, a large proportion of the new industrial workforce consists of women. However, while creating new employment opportunities and improving pay and conditions for some women, jobs tend to be based on flexible, short-term forms of employment with serious health and safety risks. Furthermore, advances in technology, mainly through automation, are increasing unemployment among ’unskilled’ workers. As women generally predominate in this group, they are most adversely affected.

The uncertainties of emplayment that have been reinforced through globalization of production and financial services have made less developed countries, like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, vulnerable and weak participants in the global marketplace. Therefore, it is vital to increase awareness in order to generate greater understanding of the impact of technology on work and the organization of work In this, NGOs and trade unions, although widely prohibited in the workplace, have a role to play.