At a time when India is formally acknowledging the need for growth with equity and social inclusion, Cividep’s long-standing efforts in support of workers’ rights in the garment industry of Bangalore has exposed a serious gap between policy and practice.
Every day, women who bear society’s responsibility for reproduction and childcare leave their children behind to enter the factory gates and begin their work-day anxious about the safety and security of their young ones.
The apparel industry is most prone to this phenomenon due to its largely female workforce at the prime of their reproductive ages. Anxiety about children can translate into lower productivity, absenteeism and worker attrition, making pre-school children’s welfare an employment-related concern.
FLA commissioned Cividep-India to conduct a research study into the causes, impacts and potential solutions to challenges in providing childcare to the children of women working in Bangalore factories.