Empowering women workers in the global pandemic

Asia Floor Wage Alliance

This project promotes women workers’ organizational power and builds grassroots worker-led institutions to address workplace violence. An important component involves strengthening Asia Floor Wage Alliance’s Women’s Leadership Committee, the only women’s industrial committee that exists for global bargaining in the garment sector. The project will investigate and document cases of gender-based violence and harassment in factories and organize women workers to negotiate and demand brand accountability. It will also work to ensure that post-COVID recovery plans include a gender focus and that a gender lens is used to evaluate and implement related remedies, policies and relief.

Why is now the time to act?

“If we don’t act now, women will continue to be disproportionately impacted by patterns of violence in garment supply chains, as they make up the vast majority of garment workers and are rarely promoted to leadership positions in factories or trade unions. The rising incidence of gender-based violence and harassment during COVID-19—with negative impacts on women’s health, their participation in the labor force and the financial stability of low-income households—will remain unaddressed.”