The Oporajita Project is Building a Sustainable Future for the RMG Sector

The Business Standard, a business and finance media outlet based in Bangladesh, spotlights our program Oporajita: Collective Impact Initiative for the Future of Work.

Oporajita is a collaborative initiative of 11 implementation organizations, initiated by the H&M Foundation and supported by Sweden and COS. These organizations work together to safeguard the livelihoods of women garment workers in Bangladesh from a future defined by automation.

The last four years of training female RMG workers with advanced manufacturing skills for Oporajita have shown that women want more technical training but must balance household tasks before they have the time and space to go to a technical training center. Herein lies the opportunity Oporajita focuses on: How can a program centered on market linkages be developed that also addresses and prioritizes inclusivity?

For example, digital training tools appeal to women workers as lessons build on each other and can be bite-size enough to be done while waiting for water to boil on a stove. Similarly, weekend-based, fun, and engaging events such as Melas provide opportunities for women garment workers to explore sustainable entrepreneurship, participate in access-to-finance activities, and attend events focused on promoting social behavior change. These initiatives aim to support livelihood improvement, enhance social safety nets, and foster career development, without sacrificing their workdays.