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Civil Society, Multiple Publics, and Relational Recognition: Recognising Women Garment Workers and Organising Situated Responsibility in Bangladesh’s Apparel Industry

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This research discusses relational recognition and the organisation of situated responsibility by exploring how diverse civil society actors from various local, national, and transnational levels, individually and collectively, facilitate safe and sustainable work for women workers in the Bangladeshi garment industry. Drawing on Nancy Fraser and Richa Nagar’s theoretical conversations into the mobilisation of publics and situated solidarity—where recognition is central to justice-seeking—we examine how public actions and debates within the gendered global apparel production network (GAPN) have the potential to democratise relations of recognition that can transcend the boundary for transformative changes to address equity. Through a 7-year qualitative, in-depth study, our analysis highlights how situated solidarity, rooted in a felt responsibility that entails accountability, is mobilised as collective “we”. This solidarity addresses struggles for recognition and offers a relational frame of recognition that integrates demands for redistribution—advancing equity, equality, and status for women workers within the GAPN—and representation, by promoting inclusion within production practices and institutional cultures. By examining the interplay between political-economic and localised conditions, alongside transnational dynamics involving multiple publics, we demonstrate how various actors situate their solidarity. This reveals how relational recognition, grounded in mutual recognition, contributes to the democratisation of GAPN governance by illustrating how accountability shapes the structuring of situated responsibilities.

Source: Journal of Business Ethics

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-026-06292-x

Authors: Fahreen Alamgir, Glen Croy, Amrik Sohal, Tharaka De Vass, Kazi Mahmudur Rahman

Institutions: Monash University, Independent University, Bangladesh

Language: English

Topic: Software Engineering and Design Patterns

Subfield: Development

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,790