Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination

Globally, a large majority of garment workers are women. Women workers face particular challenges in addition to those faced by all workers. In an effort to avoid the costs associated with providing legally required benefits, factory managers often fire workers who become pregnant, sometimes even forcing all women employees to take pregnancy tests before being hired. Even if pregnant women are allowed to keep working, they are often denied benefits required under national law, including maternity leave, child care, and time to breastfeed.

They also face sexual harassment and abuse from managers and may risk being fired if they respond negatively or report the harassment to superiors. In most factories, since most workers are women, and most managers are men, the verbal abuse that all workers face becomes gendered, with managers shouting insults of a sexual nature at workers.

Gender-based violence does not happen in a vacuum: the risk for gender-based violence is increased in contexts where workers cannot exercise their right to bargain collectively and organize.

The WRC combats gender discrimination and harassment by responding to and documenting violations of women’s rights and pressing brands and factory owners to ensure that their suppliers stop any practices of gender-based discrimination or sexual harassment and abuse.