gender analysis of the japanese ready-made garment industry under the double economic crisis: the competitiveness of low cost and high quality

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K16592
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Gender
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: NAGATA HANAKO 茨城大学, 人文社会科学部, 准教授 (20632285)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 縫製産業 / 岩手県 / バングラデシュ / 低価格 / 高品質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This aim of this research is to conduct gender analysis of the Japanese RMG Industry under the “Double Economic Crisis”, which refers to the period from the global financial crisis in 2008 to the Great East Japan Earthquake. The principal investigator conducted a field survey at RMG factories in Iwate prefecture, in addition to in Bangladesh and China. The research, especially in the case of Iwate prefecture, has the following two findings. Firstly, monetary evaluation in relation to the “skill” of the Japanese female labour force who have continued to work for a long time (particularly for those with more than 20 years’ experience), and typically in the case of homeworkers, is extremely low. Secondly, the nationality of female workers has become diverse through the Technical Intern Training Program.

Free Research Field

アジア経済、ジェンダー論