On 27th July 2025, co-funders and 11 partner organizations of “Oporajita: Collective Impact on the Future of Work in Bangladesh” came together for the 1st Convening of Phase 2, held at a hotel in Dhaka.
The event marked the formal kick-off of the second phase of Oporajita, setting the tone for continued collaboration and strategic impact. Phase II aligns with evolving global priorities around sustainability and focuses on addressing the transitional challenges faced by the RMG sector through a just transition lens.
At its core, the phase centers on two strategic themes: decarbonization of the RMG value chain and enhancing worker wellbeing, particularly for women garment workers. These priorities underscore the collective’s commitment to enabling a just, inclusive, and climate-resilient future of work in Bangladesh’s apparel industry.
The convening opened with welcome remarks from Sara L. Taylor, Country Representative, Mongolia at The Asia Foundation, followed by a message from Charlotte Brunnström, Program Director at H&M Foundation, reaffirming the funders’ commitment to collective impact in the future of work.
During the “Spotlight on Partners” sessions, each partner presented their plans for Phase 2, highlighting priorities, thematic shifts, and new areas of collaboration. These presentations enabled the collective to align expectations, build synergies, and explore joint opportunities for impact.
Afterward, a brief presentation was delivered by ORS Impact, the Learning and Evaluation Partner of Oporajita, outlining their strategy for impact measurement. This was followed by a presentation from The Asia Foundation, the backbone organization of the Oporajita initiative, which highlighted its planned activities for Phase 2.
The second half of the convening featured a highly interactive “Collab Lab”, where partners validated proposed joint initiatives and brainstormed new opportunities for cross-cutting collaboration.
The session emphasized peer-to-peer exchanges between thematic and skills partners to strengthen Oporajita’s collective impact.
Participating Organizations in Phase 2:
Shoumik Shahriar, Senior Business Consultant & Project Manager, Sakina Binte Belayet, Business Analyst, and Sadia Karim, Business Analyst, represented LightCastle Partners at the convening. The team actively participated in the Collab Lab and spotlight sessions, reinforcing LightCastle’s continued role in steering policy advocacy and systems-level engagement on just transition in the RMG sector.
In Phase 2, LightCastle will deepen its work by arranging closed-door diagnostic sessions, policy dialogues, multi-stakeholder engagement, and communications for evidence-based advocacy, focusing on enabling a resilient and inclusive shift in the future of work for women garment workers.
As the apparel industry globally evolves with automation and green transformation, Oporajita aims to prepare Bangladesh’s workforce, particularly women, for a future that is just, inclusive, and sustainable.
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