Digital Financial Services for Garment Workers in Bangladesh

This report highlights the present status of the financial ecosystem of Bangladesh, and the social protection ecosystem with special focus on Ready-Made Garment sector workers, especially women. In the course of this research, the team engaged with 10 Mobile Service Providers, 20 Manufacturers, 100 workers through 15 focus group discussions, and 400 workers through a survey.

The report outlines key lessons and findings on where garment sector workers in Bangladesh stand with regards to digital financial literacy, financial products/services leveraged, as well as the social protection ecosystem that comprises social safety net programs. The report intends to highlights lessons on the current accessibility, and recommendations for approaches that can be leveraged to support enhanced financial independence of garment sector workers, especially women.