Exploring the gaps in the provision and quality of daycare in ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) industry employs over 4 million workers, the majority of whom are women and whose participation is essential to household income, mobility and national exports. However, the lack of reliable and affordable childcare continues to limit women’s employment, job continuity and emotional wellbeing, while also affecting children’s development during the most critical early years.

Although the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 requires factories employing 40 or more female workers to provide daycare, compliance is inconsistent, and existing centres vary widely in quality, accessibility and usefulness. Many centres function as symbolic ‘checkbox’ spaces rather than child-centred environments.

To address this gap, icddr,b, in collaboration with Bangor University, Oxford Policy Management and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), conducted a mixed-methods study under the Thrive programme to examine childcare realities among RMG workers, explore enablers and barriers to establishing quality factory-based daycare, assess the structural and process quality of existing centres, and co-develop an actionable improvement plan with key stakeholders.

The study aimed to generate evidence that can inform policy, strengthen workplace practices and guide the RMG sector toward scalable, high-quality childcare solutions.