Exploring the compliance code and the making of ethics focusing on the Bangladeshi apparel industry

This paper has two purposes first, it explores how the notion of responsibility is formed, framed, and enacted and second, how responsibility is conceptualised through focusing on a private compliance initiatives enacted for the Bangladesh apparel industry after the accident of the Rana Plaza Tower in 2013 that caused death of 1133 workers mostly women. To do so, along with the content of compliance we also analyse the research studies on compliance measures to find out where women workers in this industry are located in the discussion and in the process of enacting of the compliance codes. While it is argued that approach of compliance illustrates the traits of transnational governance within the global production network, our study reveals the lack of inclusivity and thereby recognition in the content of compliance, and the lack of relationality in theorising compliance measures. We argue that these identified limitations reflect the geo-political dimension of ethical initiatives in relation to global production network. Hence we conclude that maybe in the making of ethics, the categorical silencing of women workers, who are the most disadvantaged category of actors is unavoidable.