Textile and Apparel Industries

When Global Goals Fail Local Lives: A Critical Study of the Gap Between Sustainable Development Goal Commitments and Garment Worker Realities

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Abstract

The textile and apparel industry promises “decent work” (SDG 8) and “responsible production” (SDG 12), yet many Bangladeshi garment workers experience insecurity, low pay, and limited voice. Using a Critical Theory lens and the SDGs as a benchmark, this critical qualitative study examines how global commitments translate on the factory floor. Twelve semi-structured interviews with production workers (7 women, 5 men; 2–15 years’ experience) were conducted in Bengali, transcribed/translated, and thematically analyzed with reflexive trustworthiness checks. Five themes surfaced: structural wage manipulation despite formal pay grades; audit/compliance evasion (dual time records); silencing and subtle retaliation; mobility and rights suppression (e.g., ID retention); and generational disadvantage as workers age out of jobs. A positive-theme notes uneven progress in workplace safety and child-labor safeguards. Mapping themes to SDGs 1, 8, 10, 12, and 16 reveals persistent gaps between governance rhetoric and lived realities.

Keywords: Bangladesh, garment workers, sustainable development goals, critical theory

How to Cite:

Rana, M., (2025) “When Global Goals Fail Local Lives: A Critical Study of the Gap Between Sustainable Development Goal Commitments and Garment Worker Realities”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21679