Global Capitalism and Female Precarity in India and Bangladesh Workforce

Global Capitalism has opened doors for women throughout the globe, offering jobs in export driven industries since 1990’s, especially in India and Bangladesh. The dual impact of opportunities and exploitation upon women workers in the nations driven by Colonial Legacies and neoliberal policies, channeling women into low-wage and precarious roles is much evident, while intersectional vulnerabilities, patriarchal norms and capitalist strategies have amplified these exploitation, with pervasive harassment at hazardous workplaces fueled by global supply chain (GCS) demands. Grounded in feminist political economy and intersectional analysis, we expose the deliberate feminization of labor as a corporate strategy, where transnational organizations exploit myths of ‘docility’ and ‘nimble fingers’ to trap women in starvation-wage employment. This study undertakes a rigorous examination of capitalism’s exploitative structures that perpetuate gendered subordination, exposing the interplay between transnational capital, state policies and patriarchal norms. It analyses the role of global capitalism in configuring labor conditions for women in India and Bangladesh, while proposing targeted policy reforms to mitigate gendered inequities in employment. Challenging the ‘triple entanglement’ of oppression that fosters a cycle of female vulnerability, encompassing eroded economic, corporeal and social entitlements, this article advocates for profound structural transformations, including the expansion of formal employment opportunities, the valuation of unpaid care work, the promotion of digital literacy and the enhancement of family support mechanisms. Expanding maternity and family benefits like paternity leaves, bolstering workplace oversight, developing skills among rural women, promoting formalized labor through vocational training, recognizing and redistributing uncompensated care services and strengthening labor unions for collective bargaining are the recommendations supported by this study as a part of comprehensive institutional reforms.