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Welfare programs in emerging economies are, in most cases, highly selective. This article illustrates this point by exploring Cambodia's emergency cash assistance scheme coverage for workers affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Drawing on policy analysis and interviews with government officials, industry representatives, and garment and tourism unions, it analyzes the level of benefit and efficacy of the initiative for different groups of workers. Based on this analysis, we find that garment factory and tourism workers received better support than workers in other sectors as a consequence of industry lobbying and strategic decision‐making on the part of the government designed to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on those sectors. Our analysis also reveals, however, that the relatively informal nature of even formal‐sector workplaces in Cambodia meant that the scheme's impact was highly varied even among these targeted groups of workers. We conclude with a discussion of the findings' broader implications. Related Articles: Asongu, Simplice, and Nicholas M. Odhiambo. 2023. "The Effect of Inequality on Poverty and Severity of Poverty in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Role of Financial Development Institutions." Politics & Policy 51(5): 898–918. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12558. Lachapelle, Erick, Thomas Bergeron, Richard Nadeau, Jean‐François Daoust, Ruth Dassonneville, and Éric Bélanger. 2021. "Citizens' Willingness to Support New Taxes for COVID‐19 Measures and the Role of Trust." Politics & Policy 49(3): 534–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12404. Onyango, Gedion, and Japheth Otieno Ondiek. 2022. "Open Innovation during the COVID‐19 Pandemic Policy Responses in South Africa and Kenya." Politics & Policy 50(5): 1008–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12490. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evolved ergonomic principles needed by garment workers for garment finishing in Southeastern Nigeria. Specifically, it determined important ergonomic principles necessary for garment finishing, ergonomic principles already adopted by garment workers and ergonomic improvement needed by the garment workers. Survey research design was adopted. Population was made up of 267 garment workers drawn from 19 registered garment companies in the area of the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using mean, and improvement need index. Findings show 15 important ergonomic principles for garment finishing which include; improving visibility by contrasting the colour of the garment being inspected from the colour of the work surface (X̄= 3.83), titling the work surface towards the operator while pressing to help improve visibility (X̄= 3.75), providing adjustable chairs with proper back support and cushioning for hand sewers (X̄= 3.74), among others. None of the 15 identified important ergonomic principles were being practiced by the garment workers. Thus, there is need for ergonomic improvement in the 15 identified important ergonomics principles needed for garment finishing. It was thus recommended among others that the needed ergonomic principles should be packaged into a training manual for occupational health and safety education for the garment workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged sitting with awkward posture during sewing results in musculoskeletal disorders among sewing operators. This study aimed to identify the compatibility of the sewing furniture with operators’ anthropometry. Therefore, 13 anthropometric measurements of 368 sewing operators were collected and compared with sewing furniture dimensions. The results showed that all anthropometric measurements other than hip breadth were larger for male participants. In addition, statistical analysis performed on the collected data showed significant variation compared to the existing dimensions of sewing machines. Results also indicated a high mismatch for different dimensions of the sewing table and chair, such as seat height, seat width, seat depth, table depth, etc. For this reason, sewing operators often experience musculoskeletal disorders. Finally, this study recommends some guidelines for designing the sewing workstation, which might act as a basis for manufacturers or importers to set provisions for sewing machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFollowing the 2013 electoral setback and post-election protests, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party has pursued policy concessions to mobilise support from workers in the garment industry. This article examines the role of government-aligned unions in vote mobilisation. It is argued that despite their under-performance in the 2013 election, government-aligned unions retain the trust of the Cambodian People’s Party leadership and continue to play a vital role in facilitating co-optation by communicating public policies and political messages to workers, influencing the minimum wage determination process, and delivering free healthcare services. This article contributes to the growing literature on the Cambodian People’s Party’s post-2013 adaptation and the broader literature which often focuses on labour unions in single-party regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh's Ready-Made Garments contribute significantly to the country's economy and employment. In Bangladesh, spontaneous outbursts are usually caused by Ready-Made Garment workers due to inadequate pay, unpaid wages, and compensation for overtime work. Since these three criteria affect workers' job satisfaction, and some socio-demographic characteristics such as age, education, gender, marital status also influence job satiety, finally, all of these were needed to be studied in a single research study to narrate the impact of pay scale on garment workers, which had not done yet with the aid of nonparametric tests. So this research explored the impact of the 2018 revised minimum wage policy by examining workers' perceptions of wages, including basic pay, overtime compensation, various allowances (housing, medical, food, transportation), and the degree of workers' satisfaction within a group based on demographic traits. 80 responses, according to convenience sampling, were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The results highlighted dissatisfaction with basic pay, late payments, medical, and housing allowances but higher satisfaction with overtime compensation and transportation stipends. The study also found no significant difference in overall satisfaction with the wage structure based on gender or marital status, but it showed that aged, more educated workers are, for some reason, happier. Thus, the findings provide important insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders, shedding light on timely payment with a revised pay scale according to the present circumstances, considering worker needs like medical, housing allowances, etc. and creating an environment to involve women and young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, Haiti's zòn franch (dislocated sites where garments are assembled and processed for export to the North), have reconstructed bonds of coloniality through structural violence. Despite over two hundred years of Haitian independence from French colonial rule, and over 80 years since the US occupation of Haiti, these "ports," exempt from tax and duties, are often viewed locally as self-contained non-independent islands that reproduce a colonial logic of transnational wealth extraction. Mixing voices from ethnographic fieldwork and literature, this article examines the creative resistance of Black women garment workers in Northern Haiti. It sees their opposition to a precarious local textiles industry, to substandard labor conditions in the zòn franch and to increased climate vulnerability as a legacy of Black Haitian women's continuous resistance to plantation slavery. I conceptualize the combination of informal livelihood strategies the women deploy as a form of what Haitian anthropologist and artist Gina Athena Ulysse calls rasanblaj (2015), or the re/assembly or regrouping of ideas, things, people. For Black women workers viewed as disposable by outsiders and a wealthy elite, self-organized textile-based initiatives not only tackle ecological issues such as waste management, but also extend social and educational benefits to the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women play integral roles across various sectors, including mining. Moreover, they often form a majority in certain sectors, such as healthcare and education. Biological (sex) and social (gender) differences can influence how hazards are assessed and controlled for women at work. Therefore, because of the importance of women's occupational health and safety (OHS), this study reviews and analyzes OHS-related research studies to explore (i) the attention given to women's OHS; (ii) the specific occupations studied; and (iii) the primary OHS issues and challenges faced by women. Following PRISMA guidelines, the study examined articles from 2010–2021, selecting 62 that utilized primary data, with all or part of their participants being female. The results indicate that the included studies examined women's OHS in specific occupations. These include healthcare workers, farm and forestry workers, office staff, teachers, firefighters, police officers, nail technicians, workers in the clothing industry, and general industrial workers. The trend of publishing articles on women's OHS has been growing, with most studies focusing on healthcare and agriculture. The USA and South Korea are leading in publications in the field of women's OHS, while the USA, Australia, and the Netherlands have the highest collaboration rates. Key findings reveal that the most common OHS issues faced by women in various occupations include stress, fatigue, musculoskeletal disorders and pain, sleep disorders, long working hours, depression and anxiety, workplace violence, and allergies and skin problems. Many of these issues are related to mental health. Specific issues based on the nature of the work vary; for example, teachers experience voice disorders, while farmers face digestive problems. This study contributes theoretically by enhancing understanding of women's OHS, serving as a foundation for further research, and providing practical guidance for employers and policymakers seeking to implement effective strategies for guaranteeing women's OHS across sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1940s, Alfred Marrow and the Harwood Manufacturing Corporation played a key role in laying the foundations of participative management. Concurrently, they were also accused of being antitrade union. These accusations resurfaced in the 1960s with the publication of five articles in Trans-Action, which were initiated by William Gomberg, a former International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) official. This paper examines those articles and Gomberg's relationship with Harwood. It draws particular attention to the "a role reversal in the running of factories" whereby Harwood sought to democratize many of its practices by giving some control to workers, whilst the ILGWU sought to act more like an employer by taking on the industrial engineering role of managers in determining methods and times for jobs. The paper concludes that there is little evidence of antitrade unionism, there was a clash between Harwood's worker-centered approach to industrial democracy and ILGWU's industrial engineering-centered approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent calls for decentring Eurocentric frameworks across fashion studies, alongside growing commitments to worker rights, calls for a circular economy, waste reduction and more sustainable materials draw attention to the complex and intractable social, environmental and political challenges facing the global sector. Here we point out how academic research is also implicated in reproducing inequalities, through practices of data collection, analysis and knowledge dissemination. Specifically, in the case of fashion, how worker representation, and indeed worker control over representations of their lived experiences, including labour activism, is lacking in academic research. In this article, we argue that DIY Academic Archiving can be utilized by academics, including fashion scholars, as a powerful tool for remaking fashion research. We propose unsettling usual practices around data management, as well as redirecting current moves for open research data. Turning instead to inspiration from radical archival theory and practice, we explore the potential for co-creating open-access digital archives of research data – here workers' own stories – to open up possibilities for workers to be more involved in the creation of public narratives about fashion. While not a panacea for resolving all the ills of the fashion industry, we see research processes where workers have more control over their own stories, and how they are used, as a critical step in reimagining fashion scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working conditions in many large factories in low income countries are difficult, and many workers are internal migrants from rural areas. We examine the relationship between workers' migration status and their labor market outcomes, using a household survey of garment workers in Bangladesh. Migrants are in firms with higher wages but worse working conditions, but as their careers progress, they have higher mobility than locals as they move towards firms with better conditions. These facts are consistent with a model in which migrants are poorly informed about working conditions upon beginning work but learn more as they gain experience in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on the ReFashion study which used mixed‐method longitudinal research to track and amplify the experiences and coping mechanisms of 200 women garment workers in Cambodia as they navigated the financial repercussions of the COVID‐19 pandemic. It develops the idea and practice of 'feminist longitudinal research' (FLR) through re‐centring the too often marginalised knowledges and ways of knowing of Cambodian researchers and research participants. Hearing and learning from their experiences reveal the labours and care‐work involved in the 'doing' of longitudinal research during a time of extraordinary crisis, and the potential for feminist consciousness raising and solidarity that can arise both within and beyond the confines of an academic study. The paper advocates for geographers and other social scientists to go beyond technically‐framed issues of participant 'attrition' and 'retention' in longitudinal studies to think more creatively and critically about the process of longitudinal research and what it means for those taking part in it. FLR not only evidences the temporally contingent gendered impacts of a phenomenon, but can be distinguished by its intentionality and/or potential to challenge the patriarchal status quo, both in the lives of researchers and participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women workers in the informal economy are in extremely vulnerable situations, with no protection through labour laws, no effective policy measures to address their situations, and lack of access to social security schemes. This paper underlines the need for a broader interpretation of social security in a state like Uttar Pradesh (UP) characterised by a high degree of deprivation and vulnerability of a large section of the unorganised workforce. In this paper, we intend to examine the coverage of protective social security in urban unorganised labour market in UP by different groups of unorganised workers, viz., domestic workers, construction workers, tailors and garment workers. We confine our analysis here only to the examination of protective measures prevalent in the labour market, that is employees' provident fund, gratuity, pension, maternity benefit/leaves, sickness allowance, among others to the wage paid informal workers. To examine the status of social security among urban women informal worker SSI (Social Security Index) has been computed, which reveals the fact that the level and status of social security enjoyed by the urban women informal workers is not satisfactory. An attempt has also been made in this section to examine the relationship between explanatory variables and dependent variable (SSI). This issue needs attention minimum social security net be ensured for all workers irrespective of wage, enterprise size, and place of origin. It is also imperative to clearly define national policy for informal workers, including a national social protection strategy for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the collapse of the Rana Plaza building killed over a thousand garment workers in 2013, several transnational corporations partnered with nongovernmental organizations to offer factory-based training initiatives for women in Bangladesh. These programmes promote worthy goals, including women's empowerment, menstrual health and financial literacy. But textual and visual analysis of lesson plans, awareness posters and instructional videos for workers reveal two mechanisms that undermine transformative change: They splinter worker solidarity through a focus on individualistic self-improvement (self-help) and facilitate business-as-usual by selectively revealing and concealing aspects of workers' lives (surveillance). This study highlights the worker-facing side of corporate social responsibility and transnational business feminism's turn toward empowerment education. These programmes purport to be good for business and for women. However, the training materials provide women with what I call 'band aid' remedies by telling women how to fix themselves and by strategically covering or exposing their problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)-related occupational health concerns are becoming a growing problem for the clothing industry, which is influenced by the repetitive tasks, prolonged static postures and poor ergonomic conditions that characterise the nature of work in this industry. This study aims to provide a thorough assessment of the numerous musculoskeletal problems that are prevalent in the garment industry and to recommend useful intervention strategies to mitigate their consequences. Methods: One hundred thirty textile workers aged between 25 to 45 years were taken randomly from five different textile manufacturing sites of Baranagar, West Bengal. A modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was applied to evaluate the postural stress of the garment's workers. The discomfort/pain intensity in different body parts were evaluated by Body Part Discomfort (BPD) scale. Appropriate statistical tests were applied. Results: Discomfort or pain in hip and lower back were found to be maximum among workers. Conclusion: Pain, discomfort and postural stress among various body parts like upper back, lower back and hip are verry much common for the workers. Despite efforts to deal with these problems, more thorough research and efficient intervention strategies are required to reduce musculoskeletal ailments in the garment industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on relations between Syrian and local workers in the informal garment sector. It presents a framework showing the participation and integration of the Syrian refugees and the local workers' response to this process. The findings are based on empirical materials collected in the Esenler district of Istanbul, including 60 interviews with Syrians and locals as well as participant observation in an informal garment atelier in 2020 to 2021. This study shows how Syrian refugees produce coping tactics and gain bargaining power. The research reveals different forms of relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to a lack of job security, many employees in Sri Lanka's garment industry – which is important to the country's economy – experience irritation and fear. Most employees fear the unexpected, and the loss of workplace security exacerbates these fears. This study aimed to pinpoint factors that affect the job security of office-based employees in Sri Lanka's garment sector. A cross-sectional survey, using a structured questionnaire, was used to determine the factors affecting job security using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Government policies, skill level and the status of employment were found to be significantly associated with job security while collective bargaining and the working environment were not statistically significant. The research identified a set of factors that are suitable for assessing job security. The article concludes by exploring the implications of the results for decision-makers and making recommendations to employers, government bodies, and trade unions for measures whose implementation might bolster employees' assurance of job stability for garment workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"We Kept Our Towns Going: The Gossard Girls of Michigan's Upper Peninsula" by Phyllis Michael Wong is a book that documents the working lives of women employed in the Gossard plant, an undergarment factory in North Michigan. The book traces the history of the factory from its establishment in 1920 to its closure in 1976, exploring its impact on the community and the rise of labor consciousness among its employees. Wong uses oral histories from former workers to provide a personal perspective on the factory's history and its connection to larger historical events such as World War II and the unionization of industrial workers. The book will appeal to readers interested in women's working-class history, workplace democracy, and labor studies. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this study was to investigate key design features and maintenance practices of isolation gowns which should be improved for ensuring healthcare workers' (HCWs') safety and protection, integrating two theoretical models – personal protective clothing on worker performance and clothing comfort. Using a survey research design, an online survey was employed with a convenience sample of 153 US HCWs. The results presented the need for isolation gown design improvement within donning and doffing, comfort, body coverage, fit and sizing. It showcases interrelationships among isolation gown properties, HCWs' task requirements, environmental conditions and their characteristics, and how comfort can be achieved while interacting among HCWs, isolation gown and the environment for better work performance and safety. This study provides critical insights into the novel isolation gown design and development by considering more of its utilitarian, task-related features to ensure HCWs' safety and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pacha: Revista de Estudios Contemporáneos del Sur Global is the property of PACHA REVISTA DE ESTUDIOS CONTEMPORANEOS DEL SUR GLOBAL and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study focused on ergonomic principles for organizing garment-making work environment in South Eastern Nigeria. Specifically, it determined: important ergonomic principles for organizing garment-making work environment; ergonomic principles that are being practiced by garment workers, ergonomic principles that are needed by garment workers in their work environment, and work station design guidelines of the garment workers. Descriptive survey research design was used. The population was made up of 267 garment workers drawn from 19 registered garment companies in the area of the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, improvement need index and percentages. Findings include 19 important ergonomic principles for organizing garment work environment. These include; use of task lighting to distribute light evenly over the working surface to minimize shadow (X̅ = 3.61), maintaining adequate ventilation and good temperature in workplace to minimize fatigue (X̅ = 3.66), among others. Four (4) out of the 19 important ergonomic principles were being practiced include: alternating standing and sitting jobs to reduce fatigue (X̅ = 3.13), among others. Fifteen (15) ergonomic principles are needed by garment workers for organizing their work environment which include; use of task lighting on work surfaces to minimize shadow (X̅ = 3.06), maintaining adequate ventilation and good temperature to minimize fatigue (X̅ = 2.07), and others. Further findings are nine areas of work station design guidelines that are not practiced. These include: work surface height, designing of work to reduce static loading of muscles, among others. It was recommended among others that the ergonomic principles should be packaged in a training manual for training of garment workers by relevant bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding what determines a worker's passion for skills training has important policy implications, particularly in the current context of the fourth industrial revolution, in which knowledge is deemed obsolete within several years. The purpose of this study is to answer a specific question: are higher-ability garment workers more likely to engage in industrial skills training? To do so, we use a dataset with a final sample of 787 garment workers in Cambodia. We apply logit and cluster-standard-error Ordinary Least Square regression with the intention to participate in skills training as a dependent variable on worker ability levels, which we constructed using a series of questions adapted from the OECD's Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Holding other things constant such as education, we found that workers with more ability are more likely to participate in skills training, while worker income is not a significant predictor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate productivity gains of 13.5% from workplace soft skills training among Indian garment workers. Productivity gains are greater when trainees work on joint operations alongside other coworkers, consistent with gains being driven by improved teamwork and collaboration. Furthermore, untreated coworkers on the treated production lines also show increased productivity. These improvements in the teamwork substitute for managerial attention. Despite productivity gains and higher promotion probabilities among treated workers, there are no effects on wages or retention, consistent with frictions in this labor market. Consequently, the net return to the firm was large: 256% 8 months after program completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing speed at which social media trends come and go has caused fashion trends to accelerate in response to consumers' ever-changing demands. To keep up with the latest fads, fast fashion companies design their clothing only to withstand a couple of uses before the item is no longer in good condition. The manufacture and discard of cheaply made clothing creates a variety of environmental issues. Brands conceal the treatment and compensation of their workers throughout the supply chain; the available information suggests that garment workers are mistreated. Finally, the disposal of these clothing items creates tension between the United States and the countries that ultimately assume its textile waste. The United States has done little to address these issues and currently has no legislation addressing the social and environmental decisions of the fashion industry, despite the industry's social and environmental costs. This Note suggests that the United States enact a federal scheme to regulate the fast fashion industry by drawing on the European Union's Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, California's Garment Worker Protection Act, and New York's proposed Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to quantify the degree of work–family conflict (WFC) and financial issues among ready-made garment (RMG) workers in Bangladesh and to investigate their potential associations with self-reported health outcomes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1118 RMG workers in labor colonies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in February and March 2021. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize WFC (i.e., family life disturbing the job or facing problems in family due to the job) and financial issues (i.e., savings, debt, financial obligations, financial support). We ran multivariable Poisson regression models to examine possible associations between WFC and financial issues and workers' health (self-reported general health and 10 specific health complaints). Results: We found low levels of WFC, low levels of savings, moderate levels of debt, and high levels of financial obligations: virtually all workers agreed they had to keep their job to financially support their spouse, children or other relatives. Only about a third of workers expected they would be able to receive financial support in case of a job loss. Work–family conflict was positively associated with poor health but not consistently with specific symptoms. Financial support was negatively associated, whereas being indebted was weakly positively associated with poor health. Conclusions: Our findings suggest low levels of WFC among RMG workers but high levels of financial obligations. Work–family conflict was positively associated with poor health, but not consistently with specific symptoms. Being indebted was weakly positively associated with poor health. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems existing in the application of traditional power workers' work clothes, an early warning system for power transmission and distribution workers based on ZigBee is designed. The system completes the real‐time collection and monitoring of human body temperature information, heart rate information, blood pressure information and location information of power workers. It can give early warning according to human body information, and automatically dial 120 alarm telephone according to human heart rate signal to transmit location information, so that workers can be rescued as soon as possible. In order to increase the accuracy and reliability of transmission information, the system adopts distributed fusion algorithm for signal transmission, which makes the life safety of power workers better guaranteed. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ready-made garment (RMG) sector is a significant contributor to the economic growth of Bangladesh, accounting for 10% of the country's GDP and more than 80% of its foreign exchange earnings. The workforce in this sector is predominantly made up of women, with 2.5 million women working in the industry. However, these women face numerous challenges in carrying out their culturally-expected household responsibilities, including childcare, due to severe resource constraints. As a result, the children of these working women have a higher incidence of malnutrition, particularly stunted growth. This study aims to identify the factors that contribute to stunting in children under the age of five whose mothers work in the RMG sector in Bangladesh. Methods: The study collected data from 267 female RMG workers in the Gazipur district of Bangladesh using a simple random sampling technique. Chi-square tests were used to determine the associations between the factors influencing child stunting, and Multinomial Logit Models were used to estimate the prevalence of these factors. Results: The study found that the prevalence of moderate and severe stunting among the children of RMG workers living in the Gazipur RMG hub was 19% and 20%, respectively. The study identified several significant predictors of child stunting, including the mother's education level, nutritional knowledge, control over resources, receipt of antenatal care, household size, sanitation facilities, and childbirth weight. The study found that improving the mother's education level, increasing household size, and receiving antenatal care during pregnancy were important factors in reducing the likelihood of child stunting. For example, if a mother's education level increased from no education to primary or secondary level, the child would be 0.211 (0.071–0.627) and 0.384 (0.138–1.065) times more likely to have a normal weight and height, respectively, than to be moderately stunted. Conclusion: The study highlights the challenges faced by working women in the RMG sector, who often receive minimal wages and have limited access to antenatal care services. To address these challenges, the study recommends policies that support antenatal care for working-class mothers, provide daycare facilities for their children, and implement a comprehensive social safety net program that targets child nutrition. Improving the socioeconomic status of mothers is also critical to reducing child malnutrition in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on 203 quantitative surveys with women workers in Cambodia and a further set of semi-structured interviews with 60 original participants, this paper is one of the very first to present empirically grounded research from garment workers on the financial challenges of navigating the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We show how in the making of clothes to be worn by Western consumers, poorly paid garment workers are reducing their eating to repay long-term debts and those newly taken on to cope with wage reductions resulting from factory closures, suspensions, and cuts in working hours. In its examination of this phenomenon, the paper improves understanding of the gendered contingencies of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 'wearing out' of garment workers through their attempts to reproduce life under (pre-existing) conditions of privation. We argue that the debt-hunger nexus is not new but reflects problems within Cambodia's capitalist development, and capitalism itself, as the costs of social reproduction and risk are privatised and financialised in the body politic. The COVID-19 pandemic is consolidating relations with financialised life such that they will outlast its duration and have long-lasting implications for workers and their families globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Why are millions of dollars worth of orders being left unpaid?". With tweets like this questioning brands' policies, activists advocating for sustainable fashion re-discuss material starting points that are assumed by fashion brands, who argue that they are sustainable because they care about their workers' conditions. This paper argues that activists use tweets to open subdiscussions on material starting points to engage citizens and consumers, re-discussing factual data that brands take for granted, such as the fact that they provide fair conditions for their garment workers. Activists justify their opening of subdiscussions, often through an argumentative pattern that includes an argument based on the locus from effects to cause. They argue that if there are negative effects, the brand cannot claim to care about the conditions of its workers. In discussing how subdiscussions are used by fashion activists, this paper also introduces a conceptualization of Twitter argumentation as a discussion that is not isolated, but is part of a polylogical argumentation that takes place in different venues. For this reason, the argumentation used in tweets is reconstructed as a response to a fashion brand's communication campaigns around sustainability, which extend beyond the confines of Twitter. As an empirical illustration, this paper is based on the campaign targeting fashion retailer Primark; the dataset includes the brand's website as well as activists' tweets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invisible labour exists within all forms of work. In looking to the future of work (FoW), this article reviews the literature on two separate examples; digital work and the 4IR, to uncover invisible labour within these futures. The focus of this article remains on paid work but recognises that 'employed' does not correlate with visible. In contributing to feminist labour geography, this review aims to collate, regroup and evaluate the literature on the FoW in a way which recognises 'invisible labourers' through redefining 'work' and expanding our perception of the 'workplace'. It does so in three parts. First, feminist labour geography literature is reviewed to situate the article within its call to broaden the definition of 'work'. Second, the review addresses digital work and the gig economy, to establish which labourers are receiving the most current academic attention and are, therefore, visible. Feminist literature on work and labourers within unrecognised economic spaces is explored through the example of digital sex work to draw on the concept of 'invisible labour' in digital FoW. Third, literature on technologies of the 4IR and labour will be reviewed, with particular reference to the global north bias in FoW studies. Finally, the review will apply the regrouping of the literature to the impending wave of automation in the global garment industry. The article identifies a risk of further invisibalising already precarious and marginalised garment workers and the FoW narrative moves beyond low‐skill labour. Highlighting the wider impacts on the FoW, beyond technology itself, this article calls for the labour geography literature to recognise the shift in our conception of 'industry' and women's experience of work within it to encompass invisible labourers' roles which are created, mediated and maintained by new technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing maternity protection at the workplace is found significant benefits and cost savings to businesses, but many young women workers in garment factories in Indonesia remained vulnerable within their maternity period. This research was focused on why to have a clear and comprehensive overview on the need of women workers protection; how is women worker maternity protected. Through a Systematic Literature Review, data base was obtained through seven prominent publishers by writing key words “women worker protection and maternity protection”; inclusive articles were sorted by publication time 2012 – 2022; and the considerations of specific relevance of the article with this research questions. Other literature sources were also used to be added for more comprehensive literature review for the the research questions. It was found that breastfeeding was neglected by 33.6 million young working women in Indonesia, which costed US$1.5–9.4 billion annually, despite the prescription of the Constitution that worker shall have humane livelihood; fair treatment, and human dignity, in line with ILO and the SDG. Rights and measures on family leave, maternity leave, childcare and family services, social security and working conditions provisions will resulted in improved work performance, enhance female workers loyalty and reduce turnover. State shall more tightly supervise on the implementation of Law for protection of women worker rights and employer’s social solidarity, communality, and brotherhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (wMSDs) are common workplace health hazard among sewing, ironing and packing workers, which can be caused by the manual and repetitive work in the garment industry. This research evaluates and categories the risk variables for 63 people took part in the Musculoskeletal Disorders study for garment material protection. The primary goal of this research is to determine the prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and to reduce their risk. The data were gathered using a questionnaire and an observational checklist, and the risk was calculated using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) approach and human postures were captured by camera for analysis. Reported musculoskeletal symptoms occurring in sewing, packing, ironing are lower back pain (50%, 61.5%, 42.5%), knee (30%, 15.3%, 27.5%), wrist pain (20%, 23%, 20%), shoulder pain (40%, 46.15%, 27.5%) and neck pain (40%, 23%, 32.5%), respectively, and ironing workers reported calf pain of 52.5% were the most common sites of pain. It is critical that awkward posture, uncomfortable movements, prolonged standing, and other factors contributed to an increase in worker risk while protecting garments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Stitching the 24-Hour City: Life, Labor, and the Problem of Speed in Seoul" by Seo Young Park explores the Dongdaemun Market in Seoul, which has transformed from a symbol of the labor movement to a popular shopping destination for fast fashion. The book examines the lives of garment workers, wholesalers, retailers, and designers in the market, highlighting the fast-paced production and circulation cycles of the industry. It also delves into the efforts of labor activists and the local government to create alternative spaces and slow down the market's pace. The book raises questions about the intersection of space, time, intimacy, and passion in the workplace, with a focus on the gendered dynamics and paternalistic practices within the industry. However, some questions remain about the author's engagement with the literature on space, the connection between the Dongdaemun Market and the broader urban landscape of Seoul, and the inclusion of immigrant workers in the analysis. A broader perspective at the global and local levels would enhance the understanding of the market and its participants. [Extracted from the article]

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Objectives: Psychosocial working conditions of ready‐made garment (RMG) workers have been associated with poorer self‐reported health outcomes. However, no such research has been done with respect to physiological markers that are considered to reflect stress. We consequently aimed to investigate associations of psychosocial working conditions with such a marker, that is, hair cortisol, among RMG workers in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews in labor colonies in the Mirpur area, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in February and March 2021 with individuals identifying as garment workers. The interview inquired after various workplace stressors and resources (i.e., workplace support, workplace bullying, vertical trust, beneficial leadership, work–family conflict, and financial issues including savings, debts, financial obligations, and financial support). In addition, hair samples of 2 cm length were collected from participants. Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were determined based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Linear regression models were run to detect possible associations of workplace stressors and resources with HCC. Results: In total, data of 576 participants were included in the analysis (71.9% female, mean age = 25.9 years). Mean HCC was 4.4 pg/mg (standard deviation = 2.1 pg/mg). The sole variable significantly associated with increased HCC was "having to keep your job to support your children or spouse financially" (β = 0.28 [95% confidence interval 0.02–0.55]). Conclusions: The sole workplace stressor significantly associated with increased HCC was the necessity to keep one's job to support children or spouse financially. This observation can, however, barely be disentangled from the fact that one has children/a spouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decades, trade liberalisation has been extensively promoted by international agencies and actors around the world, including the Arab region, based on the assumption that it would contribute to promoting growth, jobs, development, democracy and even gender equality. The aim of this article is to rebalance such over-optimistic narratives about trade, taking as a starting point its concrete effects on the working conditions and lives of women workers in the export-oriented garment industry in Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. Drawing on feminist political economy research and labour studies, the first part of the paper sets out the context in which to understand the impact of trade liberalisation on working-class women by problematising the dominant narrative and presenting the analytical framework that will be used. The second section reviews the empirical evidence documenting how the expansion of garment exports in the three countries has relied entirely on the recruitment of the most powerless women, under precarious and indecent working conditions. The third section examines the trajectories through which trade liberalisation has led to the observed pattern of female exploitation. Using the analytical framework discussed in the first section, it will look at the interplay between the specific structure of the Global Supply Chain in which the three countries are integrated, state policies and existing gendered social relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research work is two-fold. First, it examines the effects of COVID-19 in the workplace of the RMG industry in Bangladesh. Second, it suggests recommendations to fight the negative impact of COVID-19 on the RMG industry of Bangladesh. This research describes the potential strategies to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the readymade garment (RMG) workers of Bangladesh. It articulates the RMG workers’ existing vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic based on currently available evidence and personal conversations/communications with RMG workers. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. A survey instrument was developed for collecting primary data to capture the information relating to the research objectives. We distributed the questionnaire to 400 garment workers, managers, and owner-managers. Responses were obtained from 399 rank and file employees, but 64 participants could not correctly respond to the questions. We did not consider those incorrect responses and we were left with 335 questions with the accurate response (response rate of 83% approximately). Hence the sample size is adequate and representative. We employed frequency, correlation, and regression analysis. The correlation was used to identify if there is an association and strengthen the relationship between the independent variables (adaptability, financial prowess, nonfinancial prowess, and compliance with CDC guidelines) and the dependent variable Covid-19). We also employed regression analysis to look at the effects of independent examine independent variables on the dependent variable (COVID-19). It is clearly revealed in this study that all the independent variables are positively and significantly correlated with the dependent variable COVID-19, as is evidenced by Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and p values of each independent variable The most considerable relationship is the Adaptability, where r = 0.167, p <0.01 with Mitigating Covid-19. The next considerable relationship between Non-Financial Prowess and Mitigating Covid-19 is r = 0.090 and p <0.01. The third considerable relationship between Global cooperation and Mitigating Covid-19 is r = .084 and p <0.01. The fourth considerable relationship between Financial Prowess and Mitigating Covid-19 is r = 0.072 and p <0.01. Finally, the considerable relationship is the Compliance with CDC, where r = 0.071 and p <0.01 with Mitigating Covid-19. All hypotheses are accepted. Limitations and future research are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]