An intersectional approach to understanding the inequality and subordination of Sri Lankan women apparel workers

Contrary to the feminist research based on exclusively gendered processes of inequality in organisations, intersectionality theorists propose an intersectional approach understanding inequalities and subordination experienced by Global South women factory workers representing different social hierarchies experiencing diverse realities. This paper contributes literature bringing empirical evidence from Sri Lankan apparel industry inform floors perspective. A qualitative methodology using data generated through interviews with shop floor-level who work export processing zones (EPZs) village areas was adopted explore interplay between multiple categories (gender, poverty, rurality) influenced broader power structures (patriarchy capitalism) as well political determining globalised factories. Further, we consider how class-based produce reproduce these at work. The analysis identifies that workers' rural origins, traditionally defined roles have worked interactively favour capitalist industrialists pushing lower-paid manual jobs industry. factories utilise cheap, material-based incentives recruitment systems for rewarding recruiting floor workers, capitalising their rurality gender-based requirements a source exploitation. In addition, managers' behaviours create certain beliefs favouring factories, resulting further perceived cohesiveness or compliance. Finally, this concludes capitalism, together patriarchy, creates unequal subordinated positions poor, collective agendas wealth maximisation.
 Keywords: Inequality, Intersectionality, industry, Subordination, Women