Bangladesh’s garment boom drew millions of women into paid work, and the share of women in the labour force rose from 24% in 1990 to a peak of 44% in 2022, according to modelled ILO estimates. It has since slipped back to 39% in 2024.
39% vs 81%
Labour force participation of women and men aged 15 and over, 2024.
Men’s participation has stayed around 80% throughout. Most working women are in informal jobs without contracts, sick pay or protection — on family farms, in homes or in small enterprises — so participation alone understates how far women are from equal, secure work.
Source: International Labour Organization (ILOSTAT, modelled estimates), via World Bank WDI.