Background

Karmojibi Nari (KN) is a women-headed and women-led national organization founded on May 1, 1991, with a mission to ensure the rights, dignity, power, and authority of women, especially women workers, in Bangladesh. Over the past 33 years, KN has worked to organize both formal and informal sector workers, focusing on empowering women and strengthening their leadership capacities. It has consistently advocated for the amendment and effective implementation of labor laws to improve workers’ wellbeing.

Since 1996, KN has expanded its efforts beyond the ready-made garments (RMG) sector to include women workers in agriculture, tanneries, construction, migration, sanitation, and domestic work. KN’s advocacy extends to issues like health awareness, primary healthcare, and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) for disadvantaged women across various regions of Bangladesh. The organization also provides legal support to women workers, helping them resolve disputes and assert their rights.

KN has played a key role in shaping important national policies, such as the National Women Development Policy (2011) and the Labour Law (2006), which now recognizes agricultural workers. KN also contributed to the development of the Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Policy (2015) and advocates for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention in the workplace.

Though primarily a rights-based organization, KN also runs initiatives like daycare centers for female workers’ children and provides emergency support during disasters and pandemics, further cementing its role in promoting gender equality and social justice.