Ethical Trading Initiative’s Post

The leather industry employs a workforce of around 4.42 million men and women. Today, women constitute 25% of the overall leather industry, and 50% in the leather goods subsector, specifically. 👞 💼 However, comprehensive findings from a gender-sensitisation programme, held under the European Union-SWITCH-Asia Official-funded project, Effective waste management and sustainable development of the MSME tanning companies in the Kolkata Leather Cluster (Bantala), reveal that a combination of outdated social perceptions and mindsets, and grim socio-economic realities are preventing the development of a more inclusive leather sector, where a larger number of women participate/are encouraged to participate to make more fruitful contributions to the industry. ❌ 💡 To address these underlying issues, a new publication, titled Facing the Mirror: A Framework Enabling Gender Responsive and Equitable Spaces within the Leather Industry of Bantala and West Bengal, India, was recently published by Solidaridad Asia and SWITCH-Asia. The framework identified the need for interventions at three levels to ensure gender-inclusive workspaces: – Individual intervention – Mindset change intervention – Systematic intervention 🎯 👉 Furthermore, the framework recommends the following principles as the core of the interventions outlined: – Gender Equity – Inclusion – Participation – Safety – Openness to learn, reflect-review-response and change – Collaboration – Social wellbeing – Courage ✔ 🔎 Learn more about the framework here: https://lnkd.in/gCkSrJRe #WomenEmpowerment #WomenParticipation #GenderEquality #GenderFramework #Inclusivity #GenderInWorkplaces #GenderInclusivity #InclusivityInWorkplaces #LongRead #WeekendRead Solidaridad Network Monika Khanna Tatheer Zaidi Pradipta Konar Neha . Arjun Phillips

🌟 Exciting Partnership Announcement! 🌟 Starting this month, RISE and UN Women Asia and the Pacific are joining forces to tackle gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the textile supply chain in Tamil Nadu, India. This collaboration aims to create a safer, more equitable work environment for garment, footwear, and home textile workers. https://lnkd.in/dT5cU_vk Here's how we're making a difference: 🏭 Factory Interventions: RISE will continue delivering its Respect program with local partners, focusing on training workers and managers to understand gender dynamics and develop shared strategies for GBVH prevention and remediation. Over 23,000 workers in India have already benefited from this program, reporting increased self-confidence and communication skills. 🏡 Community Programs: UN Women will collaborate with local NGOs to build awareness and promote positive behavior change in communities around factories. These programs will address social norms and practices that perpetuate GBVH. 🏢 Institutional Engagement: UN Women will leverage its convening power to bring stakeholders together, ensuring GBVH remains a priority on the legislative and policy agenda. This includes working with government actors and unions to create an enabling environment for ending violence against women. “Violence and harassment in global supply chains extend beyond workplace incidents. Our partnership with UN Women enables us to extend our impact beyond factories,” says Christine Svarer, RISE’s Executive Director. “We look forward to leveraging our expertise and networks to scale up efforts and embed new ways of working, aiming for a future where no one in the garment industry fears harassment and violence at work.” RISE members working in Tamil Nadu can join this partnership to adopt a comprehensive and sustainable model for addressing GBVH. By integrating efforts across factories, communities, and institutions, we can create a holistic approach to tackle this issue. Contact Isadora Loreto, Manager for Respect, for more. #GenderEquality #GBVH #TextileIndustry #RISERespect #UNWomen #TamilNadu #SustainableWorkplace #WorkplaceSafety

White Revolution 2.0 will focus on women’s empowerment and self-reliance, with women, especially mothers and sisters, playing a key role in milk production. No program empowers women like the dairy cooperative sector, as seen in Gujarat, where 3.6 million women are involved in a ₹60,000 crore business. : Hon’ble Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah #EmpoweringCooperatives #SahakarSeSamriddhi #IYC2025 #CooperativeNews

🌍 Bangladesh’s Ready-Made Garments (RMG) industry employs 4.1M people, with women making up 56% of the workforce—down from nearly 90% in the 1990s. While the sector has driven women’s financial empowerment, challenges remain in career progression and work environments. With automation threatening 2.7M jobs in the next 20 years, initiatives like Oporajita are essential! By equipping women with future-ready skills and fostering inclusive opportunities, this initiative is shaping a sustainable path forward. 👏 #InclusiveSocieties #WomenToWomen #GenderEquality #HMFoundation #HM 💪

🌍 Balancing Technology and Inclusion: Shaping the Future of Work in Garments 🌟 The challenges faced by the Bangladesh Ready-Made Garments (RMG) industry resonate strongly with the realities in India, where the garments sector is a cornerstone of livelihoods, especially for women. With automation and digital technology reshaping the industry, the time is now to strike a balance between technological upgrades and job creation for an inclusive and sustainable future. At the Global Alliance For Textile Sustainability Council (GATS), we are proud to have collaborated with the H&M Foundation as a nominator for the Global Change Award 🏆—a step towards fostering innovation and recognizing global changemakers in sustainability. As we continue to build partnerships, we are committed to making a meaningful impact in this transformative journey. 💡 Our roadmap emphasizes: 1️⃣ Skill Development and Training: Equip women workers—both new entrants and experienced professionals—with the skills to thrive in automated and digitized environments, ensuring growth and adaptability. 2️⃣ Circularity as a Job Creator: Transitioning the garments industry to a circular and zero-waste model ♻️, creating new opportunities across sorting, recycling, and upcycling, while addressing environmental challenges. 3️⃣ India’s Role in Inclusive Growth: Developing sustainable, women-centered supply chains 👩🔧 in India that not only boost productivity but also create equitable opportunities for all. 🚶♀️🚶♂️ This is a long walk, but one we are ready to take—with the understanding that true change can only be achieved through collaborative and collective efforts. Together, we can create a garments industry that is technologically advanced, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable. ✨ Let’s take this step forward—together! #FutureOfWork #CircularEconomy #SkillDevelopment #GlobalChangeAwards #InclusiveGrowth #SustainabilityLeadership

"𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚: 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐲𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐀 𝐆𝐒𝐑 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦" NOBA GSR May 28 serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by women and girls in managing their periods, particularly in low-income villages, districts of #Bihar & #Jharkhand where access to sanitary pads and hygienic products is limited. When men take an active role in discussing and addressing menstrual health, it contributes to breaking down harmful stigmas, promoting equality, and creating a more supportive and informed society. This collaborative approach can lead to significant positive changes in both individual lives and the broader community. It sends a powerful message that these issues are not just "women's issues" but societal concerns that deserve attention and support from everyone. #selfiewithsanitarypads #Sangini  #NOBAGSR  #NoShamePeriod #BreakTheStigma #PeriodPositivity #menstrualawareness Om Prakash Choudhary Jawahar Lal Mukesh Gupta Sujata Kolekar Accenture Japan SAP Sanjeev Kumar Alok Sharma Babu Thanissery Mukund Prabhakar Amol Naik Vrushali Lohokare Neehar R basavaraj nadagouda Kaori Anazawa Venkatesh Somasundaram Francois Keet Accenture Rajesh Prasad Masaru Kimoto 木本 優 きもと まさるHiroshi (寬司) Miyai (宮井) Harish Sachdeva Vinay Mahadev Vinay Dodderi Vinit kumar Nick LeFebvre Elanthirayan Jayaraman Amit Choudhary Anil Raj

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Scale Weaver Clusters in Uttarakhand Intellecap partnered with The Hans Foundation to create a sustainable strategy for the Nanda Devi Centre of Excellence, aimed at scaling their operations and empowering over 650 rural women in Uttarakhand, India. Through up-skilling in indigenous handloom arts, these women are now producing high-quality wool and nettle-based products for export to international markets, where quality is paramount. Our intervention included developing a cluster model to scale operations, conducting an in-depth analysis to improve productivity, and establishing market linkages with global textile designers and local NGOs. This ecosystem approach enabled these artisans to enhance their production efficiency and expand their market reach. As a result, more than 200 rural women have gained job opportunities, and within just three months of implementation, the women weavers saw a 25% increase in their incomes. This initiative is fostering economic empowerment and building a more sustainable livelihood for these talented artisans. #SolutionsInAction #WomenEmpowerment #ArtisanalCraft #SustainableLivelihood #Handloom #Intellecap #WeaverClusters #Uttarakhand

AFWA met with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta about the implementation of the Dindigul Agreement. Dr Rao Gupta was joined by Caroline Cooney - Acting Division Chief for GBV and Cross-Cutting Issues, alongside representatives from the U.S. Consulate Chennai. This significant gathering brought together key stakeholders in Tamil Nadu's garment sector, underscoring the commitment of all participants to combat gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace. Dr Rao Gupta expressed particular interest in the agreement's implementation status and how stakeholders are actively promoting this vital initiative among suppliers and brands. The meeting highlighted ongoing efforts to address gender-based violence and harassment across various sectors, demonstrating the broad impact of the Dindigul Agreement in fostering safer environments for women. We provided Dr Rao Gupta and her team with detailed copies of our second-year report, which outlines the achievements of the agreement, which can be read here - https://lnkd.in/ghebqhp2 The Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) is a landmark framework that emphasizes the role of trade unions in advocating for the rights and safety of women workers. The DA fosters a collaborative approach between women workers, unions, suppliers and brands for workplace safety, ensuring workers have a trusted platform to voice their grievances and experiences. Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU) #DindigulAgreement #DAat2

A very well known consumer goods giant recently approached Cividep to conduct Human Rights Impact Assessment of the apparel and textiles industry in India. This assessment would inform the company of likely violations of human rights in its own supply chain. As part of this assessment, they wanted to engage stakeholders to understand the Indian context and human rights issues in the sector. Typically, civil society organisations, trade unions and worker collectives can play a strong role in such engagement initiatives, if done the right way. Cividep was one of the stakeholders they wished to interview and our response was to politely decline the interview because:- 1. As per the Human Rights Due Diligence principles widely accepted, stakeholder engagement is to be carried out at every step of the process. That means, stakeholders must be engaged by companies in mapping risks, developing mitigation plans, and communicating impacts of such plans post-implementation. And this process goes on. 2. It is appreciated that the consumer goods giant has taken a step towards understanding human rights risks in their supply chain by going beyond audits. But their communication to us lacked transparency and any commitment to engaging with stakeholders beyond risk mapping. 3. A private and opaque process not only goes against commonly accepted principles of meaningful stakeholder dialogue, it also robs local stakeholders, especially workers and their organisations, of any agency to ask questions of the company and track progress on commitments made. Cividep India urges companies to invest in public and transparent processes of stakeholder engagement. Workers and worker organisations should be brought in at every stage of the Human Rights Due Diligence process. Only then does the process become meaningful and different from social audits. Social audits fail us due to the same issues. Its use has yielded limited results as a tool for exercising oversight, control and correction on production locations, facilities and business practices. #hrdd #humanrights #impactassesment #meaningfulstakeholderdialogue