ABSTRACT
Young women are the heart of the garment industry in Bangladesh. Roughly four million out of the five million of the author country's garment workers are women. This industry reflects 75 percent of Bangladesh's exports and has tremendous national and international power. The majority of these women are age 20 to 25, and they are getting an education in economic freedom that requires recognition and a response. Sexual harassment and gendered expectations within communities are shared among all working women. In Bangladesh a woman's economic freedom is not only limited by her meager salary but also by these realities that limit her decision-making power within her family and community. Through facing disaster, Bangladesh's labor activists are beginning to see change in the industry, and one continue to call on the international community whose purchasing power has real tangible effects on the lives of millions of workers around the world.
