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Our Role in Oporajita

As a partner of Oporajita, LightCastle Partners is working to strengthen the RMG sector for future-proofing the livelihood of women apparel workers. The aim is to ensure that Bangladesh’s apparel sector is prepared to tackle the changing tides in the coming decade. This will enable the market to work towards better livelihood for the women apparel workers in the long run.

LightCastle Partners is conducting a landscape and future scenario study of Bangladesh's apparel sector. This study will evaluate the current ecosystem, industry practices, automation levels, and skills, comparing them to global technology trends, circularity, climate impact, and upcoming policies, to assess Bangladesh's preparedness and competitiveness.

Following the conclusion of the landscaping study, LightCastle, with its implementing partner Policy Exchange, will facilitate a dialogue series to promote coordination among various stakeholders in the apparel industry. The goal is to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing to ensure a smooth and successful transition to an automated future, benefiting both the RMG industry and its workforce.

two women and a child laughing
two women and a child laughing

Who are we

Founded in 2013, LightCastle Partners (LCP) is a management consulting firm that takes a systemic and data-driven approach to creating opportunities for growth and impact. The firm offers research, consulting, policy analysis, project design, implementation, and technical assistance to development partners, corporate foundations, private sector organizations, and government entities.

LightCastle specializes in private sector development and inclusive market systems, with extensive experience in RMG, WASH, women’s economic empowerment, agriculture, financial inclusion, enterprise development, value chain assessment, humanitarian aid, sustainability, and impact evaluation.

Till date, the firm has consulted for 150+ development partners & private organizations on 250+ projects, collaborated with 650+ SMEs & startups.

Why are we a part of Oporajita

LightCastle Partner's main focus since its establishment has been to contribute to Bangladesh's inclusive growth story. The Ready-Made Garments (RMG) sector has played a pivotal role in the country's progress, accounting for around 83% of total exports and offering employment to more than 4 million people, with a significant representation of women in the workforce.

Over the past ten years, through strategic partnerships with development partners, private sector organizations, and associations, the firm has successfully delivered nine impactful engagements geared towards strengthening the apparel sector.

With a shared vision, LightCastle joined forces with Oporajita: Collective Impact on Future of Work — to empower women garment workers of Bangladesh, enabling them to prosper in an increasingly automated future.

two women and a child laughing

Activities and Impact

Our Activities

Under the program's umbrella, there are three prominent activities taking place:

  • The first activity involves conducting thorough industry landscaping, which entails comprehensive research and analysis to understand the current state of the RMG sector
  • The second activity revolves around releasing policy papers and organizing a dialogue series that will bring together stakeholders from various sectors to engage in meaningful discussions. This series aims to foster cross-sector collaborations and address emerging trends in the RMG sector, while also considering Bangladesh's role in these discussions. Key participants include brands, suppliers, industry associations, and innovators
  • The third significant activity is the hosting of a dynamic national-level knowledge dissemination session. This open forum discussion will be a platform for innovators, industry leaders, and policymakers to come together and share insights and ideas. The session aims to promote knowledge exchange, foster innovation, and facilitate discussions on ways to enhance the sector's competitiveness and inclusivity.
two women and a child laughing
two women and a child laughing

The Targets of the Project

Landscaping Assessment Reach:

  1. In-depth interviews with 45+ industry and ecosystem stakeholders, including mid-level management representatives, factory owners, buyer representatives, association, social business innovators, policy organizations, academia and development partners.
  2. Focus group discussion to reach and involve at least 33 women apparel workers and 17 men apparel workers to understand their experiences.

Dialogue Reach:

  1. Organize dialogue series with representatives from buyers, apparel manufacturers, technology developers, policymakers, industry associations, government level stakeholders, and relevant associations
  2. Assemble 20 high-level decision makers/core participants to attend throughout the 4 dialogues from the apparel industry, and 5-10 need-based participants and observers from ancillary stakeholders, CI partners to contribute to policy and practice formulation. Publish policy briefs and knowledge content for disseminating insights and advocating policies to strengthen the RMG sector.

National-level Knowledge Dissemination Session:

  1. Host a national-level knowledge dissemination session with key stakeholders from the apparel sector, value chain actors, ancillary players, government agencies, policy makers, and relevant ministries.
  2. Aim to have a direct reach of approximately 100 stakeholders in the session
  3. Reach and impact approximately 300+ individuals through media outreach and dissemination of policy briefs during the session

Geographical Location (Upazila Level)

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the apparel sector's landscape, the project has conducted focus group discussions with women garment workers, as well as in-depth interviews with industry leaders, innovators, academia, and development partners.

These interactions have taken place in key regions including Dhaka, Savar, Gazipur, and Chattogram. The key informants this project interviewed come from around the globe, engaging innovators from India, Kenya, Brazil, and Sweden. Through these engagements, the project aims to gather valuable insights and perspectives from various stakeholders, contributing to a more informed and holistic analysis of the apparel sector as a whole and a future oriented vision for Bangladesh.

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