My name is Kalpona Akter, and I'm a labour activist. I organise garment workers back home in Bangladesh.
Penelope: And can you please tell us a little bit about why you think gender-based violence in the workplace is such a prevalent issue in the garment industry?
Kalpona: It's such a prevalent issue because the majority of them are women workers – the Bangladeshi garment industry is something like 15% men. It has become common, everyday, because the women do not speak out all the time and they are the majority. Everyone thinks women are weaker, so they can bear all these violences.
