A chain is only as strong as its weakest link: Why EU mandatory due diligence legislation must include homeworkers

Date: February 25, 2022
Time: 12:00 CET | 16:30 IST | 06:00 EST
Languages: English with French and Spanish interpretation available.

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About the side session

Subcontracting is ubiquitous in garment supply chains. Almost 90% of workers in garment supply chains in India work in workshops and from their homes. These millions of invisible, mainly female supply chain workers, are excluded from labour law protections and their human rights are routinely violated.

The EU legislation and corporate due diligence presents an opportunity for transformative change across the garment industry.

Join us for a 90-minute panel that makes the case for homeworkers to be included in EU legislation and corporate due diligence. Panelists, including homeworkers and their representatives, organizers and researchers from across Asia and around the world, will present:

• Best practices by leading brands;
• The demands that homeworker organizations are making of EU policy makers for inclusion in the proposed EU Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Directive; and
• A toolkit to assist brands in protecting their supply chains from human rights violations will be presented.

This side session is part of the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector and is co-hosted by several organizations including WIEGO, HomeNet International, HomeNet South Asia, Homeworkers Worldwide, and Traidcraft Exchange.

Panelists

• Janhavi Dave: International Coordinator, HomeNet International (India)
• Mary Viyakula: Executive Director, SAVE – Social Awareness and Voluntary Education (India)
• Zehra Khan: General Secretary, Home-based Women Workers Federation (Pakistan)
• Marlese von Broembsen: Law Programme Director, WIEGO
• Lucy Brill: Director, Homeworkers Worldwide (United Kingdom)