As part of the field assessment under Output 1.1 of the GEF-UNEP project, a field visit was
conducted in Tamai, Belkuchi Upazila, Sirajganj, to assess textile SMEs and weaving units, with
particular attention to production practices, chemical management, occupational health and
safety (OHS), and gender participation. Approximately 20 textile SMEs and weaving units were
visited during the assessment.
From a gender perspective, the visit provided an important opportunity to understand not only
where women participate in textile production, but also the nature, value and conditions of their
work. The field observations indicate a distinct gender division of labour, with women
concentrated largely in yarn preparation and other pre-weaving activities, while men are more
commonly engaged in power-loom operation.
This pattern has implications for women's earnings, access to technical skills, occupational
safety, recognition of their contribution, and their prospects for progression into higher-skilled
positions within the textile value chain.
Observations from the Field
The textile production environment in Tamai reflects a highly interconnected production system
in which different activities are distributed among workers according to gender and occupational
roles.
During the assessment, women were observed and reported to be involved primarily in cleaning
textile fibres, applying starch to yarn, cutting and preparing yarn, arranging and setting yarn, and
other supporting activities associated with weaving. These activities take place before or
alongside the operation of the power looms and are essential to maintaining the production
process.
However, the gender distribution of tasks was clearly differentiated. Power-loom operation was
predominantly undertaken by men, while women remained concentrated in preparatory and
auxiliary activities. This suggests that gender influences not only the type of work performed but
also access to technical and potentially better-remunerated occupations.
From a gender analysis perspective, this division of labour warrants further attention because
occupational segregation can reinforce differences in income, skills development, decision-
making authority and career progression.

Women's Work and Economic Returns
An important issue emerging from the field information is the disparity in remuneration between
women's preparatory work and men's weaving activities.
Reported cases indicate that women's earnings from spinning could be as low as Tk 20–25 per
day, while some yarn-preparation activities generated approximately Tk 70 per day after
deductions. In comparison, male weaving workers were reported to earn approximately Tk
300–600 per day.
Available information on women engaged in handloom-related work further indicates that
earnings were generally low, with more than 70% of respondents reportedly earning below Tk
1,500 per month, despite many working approximately 6–8 hours per day.
These figures require further verification through systematic worker-level data collection, as
income varies according to the type of activity, productivity, working days, payment
arrangements and deductions. Nevertheless, the information provides an important indication of
the economic vulnerability associated with women's concentration in lower-paid textile
activities.
The gender issue therefore extends beyond participation. Women are participating, but the
quality and economic value of that participation require greater attention.
Estimating the Scale of Women's Participation
The potential scale of women's participation in Tamai's textile workforce is another important
area for further investigation.
Based on an indicative assumption that each loom requires approximately 8–10 tati (workers),
including at least 3 female tati per loom, every 100 looms could involve approximately
800–1,000 workers, of whom at least 300 would be women. This would represent approximately
30–37.5% of the workforce.
Applying the same assumption to the reported 10,000–12,000 power looms in Tamai would
result in a theoretical estimate of approximately 80,000–120,000 workers, including around
30,000–36,000 female tati.
However, this estimate should be treated strictly as indicative and not as verified workforce data.
The calculation is based on assumed worker-to-loom and female-worker ratios. A dedicated
gender-disaggregated workforce survey or reliable administrative data would be necessary to
establish the actual number of women engaged in the sector.
Nevertheless, the estimate highlights the potential significance of women within the textile
workforce and reinforces the need to make women's participation more visible in sectoral
planning and policy discussions.

Gender Dimensions of Occupational Health and Safety
The field assessment also identified important OHS concerns that have gender implications.
None of the assessed SMEs had received formal OHS training, while workers demonstrated
limited awareness of workplace hazards and safe working practices. PPE use was minimal, and
formal emergency preparedness and response mechanisms were largely absent.
For women, occupational risks need to be considered in relation to the specific tasks they
perform. Yarn preparation and related activities may involve prolonged standing, repetitive
movements, manual handling and exposure to fibre dust or other workplace hazards.
At the same time, the assessment did not collect sufficient quantitative information to establish
the specific health impacts of these activities on female workers. This represents an important
evidence gap. Future assessments should therefore include gender-disaggregated OHS
information, including work duration, task-specific exposure, PPE availability and use, reported
health concerns, and access to occupational health services.
Gender and Chemical Safety
Chemical management represents another area where gender-responsive approaches are
necessary.
The assessment found that most SMEs had limited knowledge of the chemicals used in their
production processes. Chemicals were frequently identified through trade names or colours
rather than their actual names, composition or hazards. None of the assessed SMEs maintained a
formal Chemical Inventory List or comprehensive records covering chemical procurement,
storage, use and safety information.
Although women are predominantly engaged in preparatory activities rather than power-loom
operation, chemical safety should not be considered relevant only to male workers. Where
women handle treated yarn, materials or processes involving chemicals, they require appropriate
information on chemical identification, safe handling, labelling, storage and PPE.
This suggests that future chemical management interventions should incorporate a gender-
responsive training approach, ensuring that women receive information relevant to their actual
work and potential exposure pathways.
Key Gender Issues Identified
The field visit highlighted several interconnected gender issues within the Tamai textile sector:
1. Occupational segregation: Women are concentrated in preparatory and auxiliary
activities, while men predominantly undertake power-loom operation.

2. Income inequality: Available information indicates substantially lower remuneration for
women's work compared with male weaving activities.
3. Limited access to technical skills: Women's concentration in preparatory activities may
restrict their opportunities to develop machine-operation, maintenance, supervisory and
other technical skills.
4. Limited OHS knowledge and protection: Formal OHS training and adequate safety
systems were largely absent among the assessed enterprises.
5. Chemical safety gaps: Weak chemical identification, documentation and management
systems create a need for accessible chemical safety information for both women and
men.
6. Limited recognition of women's contribution: Women's work is essential to textile
production but remains largely categorized as supporting or auxiliary work.
Opportunities for Gender-Responsive Intervention
The findings from Tamai indicate several opportunities for integrating gender more
systematically into future project interventions.
First, skills development should go beyond women's existing occupational roles. Where feasible,
women should have opportunities to participate in training on loom operation, technical
maintenance, quality control, supervision, entrepreneurship and other higher-skilled areas.
Second, OHS interventions should be designed around the actual work performed by women and
men. Training should address task-specific risks, appropriate PPE, emergency preparedness and
safe working procedures.
Third, chemical safety training should be accessible to women as well as men, with content
adapted to different roles and potential exposure pathways.
Finally, future data collection should systematically include sex-disaggregated information on
employment, wages, working hours, occupational roles, training participation, OHS conditions
and access to decision-making. Such evidence would strengthen the gender analysis and support
more targeted interventions.
Reflections from the Gender Perspective
The Tamai field visit demonstrated that gender in the textile sector is not simply a question of
how many women are present in the workforce. It is equally a question of what work women
perform, how much they earn, what risks they face, what skills they can access, and whether they
have opportunities to progress.

Women are already an important part of Tamai's textile production system. Their work in yarn
preparation and other pre-weaving activities contributes directly to the functioning of the sector.
However, their concentration in lower-paid auxiliary activities suggests that participation alone
does not necessarily translate into economic empowerment.
The next step should therefore be to move from recognizing women's participation to
strengthening the quality, safety and value of that participation.
From a gender perspective, the Tamai assessment provides a strong basis for integrating women's
needs and opportunities into future project activities. A more gender-responsive approach to
skills development, OHS, chemical safety and data collection can contribute not only to
improved working conditions for women, but also to a more inclusive and sustainable textile
sector.
The field visit reinforced a central message: Women are already contributing to Tamai's
textile economy; the priority now is to ensure that they are visible, protected, fairly valued,
and provided with meaningful opportunities to advance.