Apparel Online India Issue 1-15 March '18 | Page 21

WOMEN WARRIORS
WHY SHOPFLOOR
SHOULD HAVE
MORE WOMEN?
• They are more disciplined and
focused (don’t consume gutka
or tobacco)
• In most of the cases, they are
more loyal towards factory
• Some owners believe that
women comparatively ask less
wages than men
REASONS
FOR HAVING
LESS WOMEN
WORKERS
• Less availability in some of
the hubs
• High absenteeism, compared
to men
• Health issues are much more
POSITIVE
INITIATIVE
• The upcoming apparel park in
Greater Noida has option to
keep 60 per cent reservation
for women workers
growing under its Chairperson
Meena Sethi, however does have
nearly 32 per cent women workers.
Some of the companies, having their
factories in Noida and Bangalore,
also do not seem to be having
overall good ratio, like Global Mode
and Accessories, which is having
its factory and head office in Noida,
and a factory in Bangalore, claims
to have a total of 26 per cent women
in its workforce.
Jaipur also has more or less similar
conditions. Cheer Sagar, one of
the most prestigious company
of the pink city, has 16 per cent
women on the shopfloor. Hi Choice
Exports, the only exporter of
Jaipur working with Primark, has
20 per cent women in one of its
factories. Lodha Exim, known for
doing maximum of its business
with Japan, has 2 factories in
Jaipur and 1 in Mumbai, but it too
has 30 per cent women in total
workforce. In Mumbai, there are
factories like Adiba Fashions
where women percentage is 0 but
just 90 km away from Mumbai in
Tarapur, Mandhana Industries
Ltd.’s garment division has 57 per
cent women workers. Indo Count
Industries (home furnishing giant)
running its huge unit in Kolhapur
district has 9 per cent women.
Tirupur is known for having
good share of women in garment
factories. There are companies like
Bangladeshi factories
too have good number
of women in garment
factories and some
factories have set
benchmark in this
regard. For example,
companies like Universal
Menswear Ltd., in
its factory at EPZ
Narayanganj, have more
than 2,000 workers, out
of which 90 per cent
are women. Similarly,
Organic Jeans Ltd. in its
Chittagong factory has
more than 1,000 workers
with 90 per cent women
workforce. Out of 89
Bangladeshi factories
working with Primark,
few have less than 40 per
cent women workers.
There are 23 Vietnamese
factories working with
Primark and majority of
these have more than 75
per cent women workers.
Excel Tailoring Vietnam
Company Ltd. in Yen
Khanh, has 93 per cent
women workers.
KPR Mill Limited which has 97 per
cent women in its garment division.
But, then there are many factories
which have less than 20 per cent
women like Morning Star Apparels
has 19 per cent women. SRD
Garments is another such name with
17 per cent female workers. Working
for Primark, 23 factories in Tirupur
have less than 30 per cent women
workers. Interestingly, in two units
at Bangalore with more than 3,000
workers, MAF Clothing has more
than 82 per cent women in both the
units but the same company, having a
unit in Tirupur, has only 19 per cent
women, though this unit has less than
500 workers.
Bangalore is the hub which is known
for maximum women workers in the
garment factories. There are many
such factories having more than 80
per cent women workforce. Apparel
Online explored many companies’
men-women ratio in Bangalore
and nearby areas and found that
minimum women worker percentage
was 52 per cent. But it is interesting
to see that women are dominating
shopfloor even out of Bangalore
also. Away from Bangalore, few
interesting examples are there.
Dignity Innovations, Ambattur
(Chennai) has 90 per cent women,
and in Kerala, Texport Industries
having unit in Kinfra International
Apparel Park, claims having 85 per
cent female workers.
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