The Asia Floor Wage Alliance ( AFWA ) has come up with three separate reports which claim that the women workers who work at the supplier units of leading fashion retail players like H & M , GAP Inc . and Walmart are at risk of assault , sexual abuse and other harassment every day . |
Notably , AFWA is a global coalition of trade unions , workers , and human rights that is actively working to enhance the lives of garment factory workers in the Asian countries . The reports by the association claim to have evidence based on the investigation that took place between January and |
May this year in nine production hubs across India , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka , Indonesia and Cambodia , which proves that gender-based violence is taking place in H & M , Walmart and GAP Inc . apparel supplying factories .
Markedly , AFWA ’ s investigation in India included factory workers from Bangalore , Gurgaon and Tirupur – the key apparel clusters in the country . Anannya Bhattacharjee , International Coordinator , AFWA reportedly said that the multi-billion dollar companies have failed their workers , employers , and consumers . AFWA has even presented the results of their investigation to ILO ( International Labour Organization ).
The Clean Clothes Campaign , a campaign that aims towards improving the working conditions and empowerment of workers in
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the global apparel industry , also expressed its concern over the matter and said that these reports are not just a worrying sign for the three mentioned brands , but it is also a reality-check for the whole garment industry .
H & M reportedly spoke on the issue and said , “ The company believes that violence against women is one of the most rampant human rights violations ; this investigation clearly suggests the need for continuously addressing such situations .” The retailer maintained , “ We will go through every section of the report and follow up on factory-level with our local teams based in each production country .”
It now remains to be seen , how ILO and all the three respective brands act on this issue that is constantly tarnishing the image of the industry .
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