One World Action and SEWA
Cutting the Chains - Phase Two
Suppliers, purchasers and social auditors have difficulty in acknowledging homeworkers, often denying they are part of the textile supply chain. In Delhi, there are approximately 75,000 women embroidery homeworkers dependent on exploitative middle men for poorly paid piece work. Ignoring these workers at the bottom of the chain means that there can be no regulation or protection from exploitation.
In 2009, TRAID funded a ground breaking project with partners One World Action (OWA) and SEWA to help women homeworkers improve their lives and wages. TRAID funding established two embroidery centres to help women secure fairly paid work directly from suppliers, typically doubling wages, and an informal education centre for their children. Read more about the project here
Cutting the Chains has already made tangible progress in addressing the complex problems faced by women homeworkers in extremely poor areas of Delhi. The centres have established relationships with suppliers and have secured contracts from export houses supplying many high street brands. Over 500 women are receiving regular work and are paid fair wages on time. 200 children of women workers are receiving continuous high quality education.
In 2010, TRAID is supporting OWA and SEWA for two more years with £89,443 to scale the project up, consolidate operations and become completely sustainable in 2012. Phase Two of the project aims to provide over 3,000 women with regular work, and to influence more suppliers to shorten supply chains by dealing directly with homeworkers. This brings TRAID's total funding of Cutting the Chains to £142,289.
The embroidery centres will continue to produce clothes for UK and international brands. At the same time, the project will establish a company, owned and managed by women homeworkers,who will deal directly with, and negotiate piece rates with suppliers.
This innovative work links companies directly to workers cutting out layers of exploitation, and demonstrates to companies that with the right approach homeworking can be regulated to meet international standards. A shift in entrenched purchasing patterns, and at no extra cost to suppliers, this model of best practice shows that homeworking can lift women and their families out of poverty, rather than consigning them to it.
TRAID will update the website regularly with project news and developments. To find out more visit One World Action www.oneworldaction.org and SEWA Bharat www.sewabharat.org/
