The Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and key private sector stakeholders, on Wednesday launched the Digital Monitoring Tool (DMT) to enhance the accuracy and responsiveness of contraceptive distribution within Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector.
The launch will ensure smart, scalable and accountable family planning service delivery, directly benefiting around 22,000 women in six participating garment factories in its initial year, according to the UNFPA.
The Digital Monitoring Tool is a dual-platform system that enables real-time data collection for improved forecasting and supply, stock visibility, usage tracking and performance review across factory health centres.
Developed with technical support from ToguMogu Private Limited and Jhpiego, it addresses the limitations of paper-based systems that often result in supply chain disruptions and stock outs which limit women's choices of contraceptives and impact women's health.
Following today’s launch, the DMT will continue to be rolled out and refined based on user feedback. The next six months will focus on full implementation in pilot sites, bulk data integration, performance reporting, and mobilising support for national scale-up.
Speaking at the launch, Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh, emphasised the urgency of reaching women with efficient reproductive health solutions which address their rights and needs to access quality and affordable services.
“This tool brings services closer to the women who power Bangladesh’s economy. This innovation is about more than technology. It is about ensuring workers’ rights to SRH are fulfilled and that they are supported with enabling conditions in the workplace. It ensures workers are supported not just as patients, but as professionals contributing to Bangladesh’s growth,” said Catherine.
Bangladesh’s RMG sector employs over four million workers, the vast majority of whom are women. Yet, many continue to face challenges in accessing affordable and reliable family planning and sexual and reproductive health services.
A recent UNFPA study in six RMG factories found that investing in family planning yields remarkable returns: up to 20% increase in productivity, 26% reduction in absenteeism, and savings of up to USD 160,000 annually per factory.
Over the past nine years, only 804,000 female RMG workers were able to access contraceptives through existing channels, covering just a fraction of the workforce. With the tool, DGFP aims to better meet the demands of women who work in factories for these services and scale up access while ensuring transparency and efficiency in service delivery.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy by UNFPA and the DGFP to expand public-private partnerships to address the unmet need for modern contraceptives, currently at 12%, and to enhance integrated sexual and reproductive health services, including cervical cancer screening and gender-based violence response.
“This milestone marks more than just the launch of an innovative technology—it is a reaffirmation of the Government’s unwavering commitment to investing in the people who are the backbone of our nation’s progress,” said Dr Ashrafi Ahmad, Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning, acknowledging the transformative potential of the tool.
