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Power, gender and class - Speakers tour with trade unionist Camelia Hasan from Bangladesh

The collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh on 24 April 2013 is still considered one of the most serious industrial accidents in textile history. More than 1,100 people lost their lives and thousands were injured. The catastrophe has suddenly made the global supply chains of the fashion industry visible. However, survivors and survivors continue to struggle with the consequences, and the working conditions of textile workers remain precarious.

Rana Plaza stands not only for a single event, but for structural conditions in the global apparel industry that persist to this day. Many workers continue to work in precarious conditions without sufficient co-determination. Women in particular continue to be above-average victims of exploitation, insecure employment and sexualised violence in the workplace.

Trade Union Perspectives on Global Inequality

Against this background, FEMNET's Speakers Tour with trade unionist Camelia Hasan from Bangladesh will take place from 20 to 27 April 2026. In public events at universities and on clothing radio, she talks about the interrelationships between power, gender and class in the global textile industry – and how these categories decide whose work becomes visible and whose work remains systematically invisible.

The focus is on the question of how structural inequalities exclude women in the clothing industry in particular from decision-making processes. At the same time, it provides insights into its concrete trade union work: from collective bargaining to the fight against sexual harassment in the workplace to issues of social protection and the impact of international supply chain laws.

It also shows that change is possible – through unity, solidarity and collective action. Camelia Hasan shows how workers' rights can be strengthened and the central role trade unions play in this.

© FEMNET | Daniela Bartsch

About the person:

Camelia Hasan is a gender officer at the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), the largest textile union in Bangladesh. As a trade union activist, she works closely with employees in textile factories and is particularly committed to the rights of women in the clothing industry.

Public dates of the Speakers Tour

23.04.2026 | 5 p.m.
Lecture and upcycling workshop: Power, gender, class
University of Bonn, Department of Geography

24.04.2026 | 12:00
Lecture and discussion: Power, gender, class – trade union organisation using Bangladesh as an example
University of Cologne, Department of Geography

24.04.2026 | 6 p.m.
FEMNET Speakers Tour: Clothes Radio x IUMA Concert

The Speakers Tour invites you to critically question global production conditions – and to focus on the voices of those who do the real work behind our clothes.