Women Empowerment

Initiatives in DBL Group

• Family business

• Diversified conglomerate

• Vertically integrated

apparel & textile

operations

• Started in 1991

• Turnover: US$ 455 million

(2017-18)

• 35,000 employees

Our Buyers

Our Knowledge Partners

Sustainability Pillars

www.dbl-group.com/Sustainability

Preventing Sexual Harassment in DBL

• Anti-harassment policy

• Awareness training for workers on sexual harassment

• Anti harassment committee

• Grievance mechanism regarding sexual harassment for

female employees

• Confidentiality of case handling

• Promoting Female Leadership and Gender Equality

Women Empowerment at DBL

• Female Supervisor Leadership

Program: DBL

• Women in Factories Initiative:

CARE

• Women Health Initiative

(WHI): DBL

• Nirapod (SRHR): Phulki,

Embassy of the Kingdom of

the Netherlands

• Financial literacy: CARE

• Mothers@Work: UNICEF,

BRAC

• Creating new fields of

employment: Circular Knitting

Machine Operator and Female

Security Guards

• Sexual Harassment Awareness

Program: Better Work, ILO

Female Supervisor Leadership Program Topic Duration

Counselling & Motivation 4 hours

Work Study 11 hours

Machine Maintenance 2 hours

Roles of Supervisor 1.5 hours

Soft Skills (self-analysis and development, time

management, motivation, communication)

6 hours

Quality 4 hours

Common Code of Conduct 1.5 hours

Total 30 hours

Sample-making 15 days

Female Supervisors’ Business Case • 150 pcs production per sewing line X 10 hours = 1,500 pcs/day

• 1,500 pcs/day X 3% extra production = 45 pcs extra/day/Female

Supervisor

• 45 pcs extra X 42 Female Supervisors X 26 days X 12 months =

589,680 extra pcs/year

• 589,680 extra pcs X 2.5 USD = 1,474,200 USD, i.e. 1.47 million

USD

1.47 million USD worth of extra revenue by Female Supervisor

led sewing lines per year

• Guided by the Institute of

Public Health and

Nutrition (IPHN), MoHFW

Bangladesh, supported

by UNICEF, ILO Better

Work

• Training: management,

pregnant and lactating

mothers

• Breastfeeding space and

breastfeeding breaks

MoHFW: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Considering FOB price of a garment is USD 2.00

Reject 1 piece * 1 hour * 100 mothers * 26 days * 12

months

31,200

pieces

Value of rejected 31,200 pieces * $ 2.00 $ 62,400

Less: Mothers@Work investment $ 7,013

Saving per year for 100 Pregnant & Lactating

Mothers

$ 55,392

Factory sample size: 2,000 workers and 5% pregnant & lactating

: The Business Case

SRHR Initiatives

ABSENTEEISM

(from 8% in 2011)

30% Female using sanitary napkins (from 11% in 2014)

6,500 Female workers trained up on SRHR

12¢ Cost per pack of sanitary napkins

3.6%

Summary of Business Benefits

62.6% Continued jobs after returning from maternity leave in 2016-17

(up from 30.3% in 2014-15)

2% Female employee turnover (from about 6% in 2011)

$1.4 MM Extra production annually

Women Empowerment Recognitions

Social and Environmental Excellence (SEE) Award, 2014

UN Global Compact SDG Industry Matrix,

2016

The Changemakers in Bangladesh