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The garment industry employs 60 million workers around the world, nearly 75% of whom are women. The International Labour Organization has estimated that nearly 25 million jobs could be lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and women working in garment supply chains are particularly vulnerable. During this period of crisis, CARE is calling on brands, governments, supplier factories, trade unions and civil society to take action to protect the rights of women working in the garment industry.

“I’ve been doing this work for 30 years, so to come to a space like this and have everyone in the room start from a place of ‘we have a problem’ is powerful.” - Robin Runge, Senior Gender Specialist, Solidarity Center.

The safe space referred to above was the recent Business of Women at Work event, where more than 150 garment industry stakeholders from 10+ countries across Asia gathered to discuss solutions to the challenge of violence and harassment within supply chains.

We want the women employed in the supply chains of the companies which make your clothes to have access to decent jobs free from violence and harassment and to be able to voice their rights at work. 

At the International Labour Conference (ILC) taking place now (10-21 June 2019), governments, employers and unions are negotiating global legislation on ending violence and harassment in the world of work. A global Convention is vitally important if we want safe and respectful workplaces for everyone because sexual harassment prevention starts with strong leadership and this legislation represents a clear global direction.

Today the 108th session of the annual International Labour Conference kicks off in Geneva. As momentum builds for a strong and inclusive ILO Convention to end violence and harassment in the world of work, we are pleased to note growing support from the business community as well. We particularly welcome support from three prominent business organisations Business Fights Poverty, The B Team and BSR, who join our corporate partners Avon, Diageo, Marks & Spencer and Unilever in endorsing CARE’s statement of support originally released on International Women’s Day in March this year.

This International Women’s Day, CARE International and our corporate partners Avon, Diageo, M&S and Unilever are commited to calling for a strong and progressive ILO Convention to end violence and harassment in the world of work. This letter is co-signed by Amy Greene (Avon), Mairead Nayager (Diageo), Fiona Sadler (M&S) and Laurie Lee (CARE International UK).

The CEO Agenda 2019 was launched at DAVOS by a number of leading fashion brands, with support from Global Fashion Agenda. It’s good to see major brands trying to tackle the ethical and environmental challenges facing the sector – and society more broadly – but the experience of CARE and our partners in civil society and the trade union movement demonstrates a number of important gaps in this Agenda and limitations to what it can achieve in its current form.