Questions for "Bangladesh Women Find Liberty in Hard Labor"
- If Mollah had stayed in her village, what would her life most likely be like?
- How does she believe a job in the garment industry has provided her more freedom than the girls in the village?
- What are the negative aspects of working in the factory?
- What is your reaction to the following quote?
"'It's fantastic that they have this common industry that has put women to work,' said Charles Kernaghan, director of the Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights, based in Pittsburgh. Recent street protests in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, by garment workers helped nudge the minimum wage to $68 a month, which he said equates to 33 cents an hour."
- What is your reaction to the description of the living space of Mollah and her roommates?
- Name two ways the garment industry has changed the lives of girls.
- Explain to what degree you agree with the title of this article: “Bangladesh Women Find Liberty in Hard Labor.”
- What are your thoughts when comparing American women’s options to Bangladeshi women’s options?
This lesson is written as a series of notes for facilitators.
This lesson is designed for an early high school classroom on a 100 minute block schedule with access to computers. As alternatives teachers may assign the article and questions for homework or provide printed copies of the article for the students to read in class or as homework.
Objective:
Students will analyze the choices for girls in Bangladesh and discuss whether working in the garment industry really does allow women to find more freedom.
Warm-up Activity:
Have students brainstorm future options for girls in America. What can or can’t they do? Discussions may range from limits on combat duty, cases of unequal pay, growing numbers of women in post graduate programs, staying home to raise children, women earning college degrees at a greater rate than men, etc.
Introducing the Lesson:
Students will read the article "Bangladesh Women Find Liberty in Hard Labor" and analyze whether they believe the garment industry is providing more liberty for women in Bangladesh.
Activity:
While reading the article, please answer the attached questions.
Conclusion:
Put students in small groups to discuss the answers to their questions. After circulating to hear if the discussions are coming to an end, the teacher will pose the question: So what could be done in Bangladesh, if anything, to increase women’s options? The teacher can lead a whole-class discussion based on the student responses.
