BKMEA and Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together for Change (STICH) signed two MoU to promote gender sensitive workplace in the Knitwear sector in Bangladesh as well as to ensure the fair prices from the buyers by using ‘Fair Price App’. BKMEA vice president Fazlee Shamim Ehsan and Mr. Alexander Kohnstamm, Executive Director of Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) signed the MoU. BKMEA Vice President Akhter Hossain Apurbo, STITCH Consortium Coordinator Mae kallander, First Secretary of Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka Mr. Bas Blaauw, Advisor of the STITCH Trade Union Advisory Board Amirul Haque were present there.

BKMEA and STITCH Consortium will work to improve gender sensitive workplace in BKMEA member factories. For this purpose, a grievance committee will be formed in each member factory of BKMEA. This committee will work to receive complaints, investigate and make recommendations. The committee will act as per the directions of the High Court following a 2008 writ petition to eradicate gender discrimination and sexual harassment from the country. STITCH Consortium will provide technical assistance to BKMEA in capacity building, development and evaluation of internal master trainers in project management. Mondial FNV, Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and FWF will be involved in this project as its affiliates. It is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands as a strategic partner. Fair Wear Foundation promotes transparent and ethical purchasing practices among knitwear exporters and buyers as the member of STITCH Consortium. FWF has created an app called ‘Fair Price App’. It helps factories and buyers to set fair prices by cost related information. BKMEA and FWF will work on the field of using this app in BKMEA member factories to ensure fair prices from the buyers.