DHAKA, Nov 3 —Bangladeshi garment worker Amena, who has spent seven years sewing and checking clothes for international brands, struggles at the end of the month to afford even the basics.

The 27-year-old, who like others interviewed by AFP gave only one name fearing professional repercussions, earns 12,500 taka (RM410), barely enough to cover the rent on her small home and support her elderly parents.

Her monthly wage is roughly equivalent to the retail price of a pair of yoga leggings or blue jeans in Europe or North America — garments like those made at the factory where she works in the Dhaka suburb of Gazipur.

“I earn 12,500 taka. The highest salary I ever drew was 26,000 taka, and that was years ago,” she said, adding her salary dropped when she was transferred to sampling from stitching.