Child Rights Changemaker Programme Expands to Seven Factories in Bangladesh

Photo: a Changemaker factory delivering a parenting training to workers

The Child Rights Action Hub Bangladesh's Changemaker Programme has continued to gain momentum, expanding from three participating factories to seven factories across the ready-made garment, handicrafts, embroidery and accessories sectors.

The growth reflects increasing interest among suppliers in taking practical action to strengthen child rights and address risks facing children and youth within their workforce and surrounding communities.

What is the Changemaker programme?

The Child Rights Changemaker Programme recognises suppliers that take meaningful steps to support children and families while strengthening systems to identify and address child rights risks, including support for parents and youth.

Through a structured improvement journey, participating factories work with the Action Hub to assess opportunities, develop action plans, implement initiatives and measure results. Factories can progress through three levels of recognition: Supporter, Initiator and Changemaker.

To achieve recognition, initiatives must create tangible benefits for children, youth and families, contribute to long-term change and make use of the supplier's influence and business practices.

What Factories Are Doing

The seven participating factories are implementing a range of initiatives. A common focus area has been parenting training programmes, helping parents better support their children's well-being, development and education. To date, participating factories have trained hundreds of parent workers through these programmes.

Several factories are also introducing additional measures. These include educational support initiatives for vulnerable children and supply chain mapping exercises designed to help factories better understand risks and opportunities within their own business relationships. One participating handicrafts factory has implemented an Access to Decent Work for Youth (AD-Y) initiative, creating opportunities for young workers to access safe and appropriate employment pathways.

Outcomes so Far

The programme has already seen encouraging progress. Following on from Karupannya Rangpur Ltd. (the first factory to be recognised as a Changemaker), two additional factories have now also achieved Changemaker recognition following independent impact evaluations. Their initiatives demonstrated established systems, evidence of positive outcomes and a commitment to sustaining activities over time.

Other participating factories continue to implement and expand their action plans, with further evaluations planned as initiatives mature.

As the programme continues to expand, the Child Rights Action Hub Bangladesh will keep supporting suppliers to develop, implement and strengthen initiatives that deliver lasting benefits for children and families.

We look forward to welcoming more factories to the programme in the months ahead.