- Title
- Female garment workers (non-) understandings of human immunodeficiency virus in Bangladesh
- Creator
- Mahmood, Shakeel
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2023
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- This thesis critically examines female garment workers’ (FGWs) gendered experiences in the factory setting and their personal (non-) understandings of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the Dhaka city region of Bangladesh. Qualitative research was conducted using structured in-depth interviews with both FGWs and owners of garment factories to learn about, and critically explore, the health challenges of FGWs with HIV. FGWs are one of many key populations who are vulnerable to HIV including female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and people who inject drugs (PWID). Many of them are vulnerable adolescents, who have limited knowledge and insufficient education about HIV and AIDS. In some cases, there are intersections between these groups. Throughout the research, the FGWs health issues addressing HIV in reference to gender and power (Connell 1987; Gilman 2011) have come to the fore. Low literacy rates and gender inequality are major causes of HIV vulnerability for Bangladeshi FGWs. While the FGWs have heard about drug use, sex workers and multiple sex partners, all of the participants maintained that they do not have personal experience in these matters. Throughout the research process, low literacy rates have been prevalent among the FGW research participants. However, in selected factories, some forms of educational provision addressing HIV to the FGWs are available. Empowering FGWs through formal health education of safe sex practices is demonstrated to be essential, including the prevention of workplace violence (WPV), intimate partner violence (IPV), and the integration of work-based interventions that contribute to strengthening the empowerment of FGWs. In response to the above, this thesis argues that FGWs indicate inadequate understanding of HIV, and proposes a partnership commitment between community leaders, the private sector, and non-government organizations as well as the Bangladesh government, as focusing on the prevention of HIV needs to be encouraged. Safe sex practice, health education, especially in regard to HIV is pivotal to further empower FGWs in Bangladesh.
- Subject
- female garment workers; HIV; health education; Bangladesh
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1477592
- Identifier
- uon:50004
- Rights
- Copyright 2023 Shakeel Mahmood
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 252 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT04 | Errata | 28 KB | Word Microsoft Office Open XML Format document | View Details Download |