Rana Plaza Day 2025: Rallying for Justice, Safety, and Binding Change
Rana Plaza Day has been observed annually since the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building on April 24, 2013. Continuing this tradition, AFWA Bangladesh successfully commemorated Rana Plaza Day this year as well. Since 2023, the Alliance has actively marked this day to honor the victims and renew its commitment to workers' rights and safety.
On April 24, 2025, more than 100 leaders and members from ten affiliate organizations of AFWA - Bangladesh participated in the program. The event began at 10:30 AM with a rally in front of the Rana Plaza site, where participants carried banners highlighting key demands related to justice, accountability, and workers’ rights.
Following the rally, participants paid tribute by laying wreaths at the martyrs' memorial. The commemorative event continued with speeches and slogans focused on the urgent need to fulfill the long-standing demands of workers, ensure justice for the victims, and implement structural changes to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The event was attended by members of the National Committee, Women’s Committee, Youth Committee, and union representatives under the banner of AFWA Bangladesh. Their collective presence demonstrated unity and a strong movement for a safe and dignified garment sector in Bangladesh - where accountability is binding.
Read our full statement here
From Shop Floor to Street Stage: Women Garment Workers Call for Change
As we step into International Women's Day 2025, the fight against gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the garment industry remains as urgent as ever. Last year, during the 16 Days of Activism, women garment workers in Bengaluru, India, turned their struggles into powerful public performances, demanding justice, safety, and dignity. Here’s how their voices resonated far beyond the factory walls.
Written by Suhasini Udayakumar and edited by Lauralyn (Laura)
In an industry plagued by gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), the rallying cry of women garment workers for safe working conditions, fair wages, and the right to freedom of association has persisted for years. This call was at the heart of the street plays organised between November 25 and December 10 in Bengaluru by Asia Floor Wage Alliance’s (AFWA) National Women’s Leadership Committee. Held to commemorate the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the campaign added a regional flavour to this global movement.
Street Plays That Brought Hidden Stories to Light
Performed across Magadi, Mysore Road, and Peenya, the initiative was a collaborative effort by AFWA- India and the NGO Munnade, along with the United Garment Workers Union (UGWU), supported by ally Fedina. The 11-minute play, enacted by the Munnade team and AFWA organisers, portrayed the bleak conditions in garment factories, where verbal abuse and sexual harassment are daily realities for women workers.
Calling Out Fashion’s Complicity
The play sheds light on the complicity of fashion brands in perpetuating these exploitative conditions as encapsulated in the cry, “Our labour results in fashion clothes! In profits!”. It also highlighted the oppressive environment on shop floors, where workers are denied basic rights and amenities such as access to drinking water, lunch breaks, and washroom breaks, as denounced by the declaration “Workers are not slaves!”. The discrimination faced by migrant women workers was captured in the demand, “Local or migrant, treat us the same!” and the urgent need for respect and dignity at the workplace as urged in the call, “Keep a hold of your tongue, hand, and eye”. The powerful performance concluded with a resounding call for freedom of association (FOA) to enable collective action for improved working conditions.
A Collective Movement for Change
The campaign had a far-reaching impact. Over four public performances, the play was watched by an audience of more than 500 people. Additionally, 24,000 pamphlets on GBVH in the global garment supply chain were distributed, reaching a large number of garment workers and the public.
This campaign, led by women garment workers, showcased the power of collective action and the importance of solidarity in demanding change. Through their performances, these women transformed their lived experiences into a powerful call for justice, resonating with thousands of workers and the public alike. Their message was clear: respect, dignity, and equality are not privileges but fundamental rights that every worker deserves. This initiative not only underscored the urgent need for reform but also reinforced the strength of unionised voices in shaping a more equitable future.
Pakistan’s Garment Workers Flooded by Economic Woes
Pakistani garment workers, who were already severely affected by the wage theft during the Covid-19 pandemic and an unpredictable political environment, are now facing a fresh crisis after torrential rains this year submerged nearly a third of the country.
