Weaving Gender Equality Into the Garment Sector in India

Aug 26, 2013 2:30 PM ET
Campaign: CSR Blogs

Antonio Pasolini

A project led by Social Accountability International has ​ been working, over the last three years, to tip the balance in favor of women who work in the ready-made garment sector in India. The focus of the project has been on three main manufacturing cities: Bangalore, New Delhi and Tirupur.

Appropriately called RAGS, the project was launched in 2010 and so far has provided training and helped change attitudes and understanding in this industry. During the thee-year RAGS project, SAI's team led by Rishi Sher Singh organized 22 gender discrimination workshops across the three cities, reaching a total of 605 participants representing 201 factories.

These numbers surpass the initial targets by over 50% and because of that it received a supplementary grant from the UK Aid's Department for International Development (DFID). Among the companies that have supported the project are Gap, Timberland, PGC Switcher, Primark, Burberry, Triburg (buying house) to support their supplier factories.

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Antonio Pasolini is a Corporate Social Responsibility writer for Justmeans, Antonio Pasolini is a journalist based in Brazil who writes about alternative energy, green living and sustainability. He also edits Energyrefuge.com, a top web destination for news and comment on renewable energy and Elpis.org, a recycled paper bag/magazine distributed from health food stores in London, formerly his hometown for over a decade. He is also a happy herbivore.