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Female apparel workers demand recognition

11 Mar 2021

Female representatives of the Sri Lanka Chamber of Garment Exporters (SLCGE) said that regardless of the dignified role women who are engaged in the garment industry work force play in strengthening the Sri Lankan economy, they are being portrayed otherwise.  “The media and teledramas always showcase the female workers in the apparel industry as an underprivileged and less fortunate group of people. This is not entirely true,” a representative said. SLCGE, a member of the Joint Apparel Association Forum of Sri Lanka (JAAFSL), made these remarks during a press conference held in Colombo on the occasion of International Women's Day.  The press conference focused on the welfare and betterment of the living standards of women engaged in various occupations in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka, and the representatives emphasised the importance of taking steps not to limit the recognition of the role of women in the garment industry, the biggest strength of the national economy of the country, to International Women's Day. “In the media all you see is the condemning of the professional dignity of women entering the garment industry. Through works of art and other means of media, it is necessary to give a correct picture and take steps to avoid that situation,” the women delegates who attended the press conference added. Women make up about 85% of the workforce in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka, especially in the rural areas, and are one of the key employment-generating sectors to strengthen the economy of women.  While the whole world celebrated International Women's Day, the apparel workers in Sri Lanka were of the view that the value, importance, and attention given to women should not be limited to just one day.   


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