Why This Deserves Everyone’s Attention

Imagine carrying a weight every day that no one sees. Most women garment workers live with that emotional burden. They may not call it anxiety or stress the way we do, and often deal with it silently, sometimes with a painkiller, sometimes by just pushing through. But when we spoke to them, what emerged was something deeper: a sense of being overwhelmed, unheard, and unseen.

“I carry so much inside me, but there’s no one I can talk to; no one who listens. I feel better talking to you,” one worker told a Cividep team member, part of the Multi-Actor Partnership (MAP) project on Gender and Health.

This is not just personal distress — it’s what happens when a system values production more than people. Kavita (name changed), who works in a Bangalore factory, put it plainly: “Each shirt I stitch carries the weight of my life, but the wage I get doesn’t even come to its worth.” Her words point to something that goes beyond tiredness. It’s the quiet injury of being treated as replaceable.

A Distant Conversation

Last month marked Mental Health Awareness Month, a tradition that began in the United States to spotlight the importance of emotional well-being. But for thousands of women workers in garment hubs like Bengaluru, Tiruppur, and Karur, that conversation can feel far removed from their everyday lives. 

These women don’t use the language of mental health but that doesn’t mean they’re unaffected. The emotional toll of constant pressure, harassment, job insecurity, and invisibility shows up in ways that aren’t always named or addressed. 

The Daily Strain: What the Research Says

A recent report by MAP, Worked to the Bone: Understanding the Health Vulnerabilities of Women Garment Workers, found that 87% of women surveyed reported chronic emotional strain linked to unrealistic production targets and the double burden of paid and unpaid work. Many said they were unable to take breaks, constantly monitored, and made to feel like machines.

“Sometimes, the pressure of meeting production targets keeps us awake at night. It affects our appetite. My husband thinks I care more about work than my family,” said a worker in a Bangalore factory.

This is not stress in the way we often understand it — it’s a response to being trapped in a system that erodes a person’s sense of self-worth. A study by Yuan D et al., 2022 shows that stress and poor working conditions impact the physical and mental health of garment workers and more specifically, women and lower-tier workers.

When Health Systems Fail

Even when women overcome stigma and seek help, they are often turned away. Public hospitals may dismiss or rush through their concerns. Private care is out of reach. Antony Raju V, a researcher with MAP, explains: “Women workers have no time to think about their mental health. Unrealistic production targets don’t allow them to care even for their physical health — mental health is out of the question.”

This gap between what they feel and the lack of support deepens their isolation.

Beyond the Factory Gate

The emotional burden doesn’t end with the workday. A related Cividep study with adolescent daughters of garment workers showed how household gender roles and maternal absence shaped their lives. “They made us do all the work, saying that as girls, we had to learn it. Boys were allowed to play,” said one teenager. “That made me angry.”

When mothers are overworked and emotionally unavailable, children internalise both exhaustion and inequality. The emotional toll is passed down — silently but powerfully.

A Workplace Issue, Not a Personal One

Too often, emotional distress is treated as an individual problem, something to be solved privately. But these experiences are structural. They are built into how the garment industry functions.

That’s why the MAP team developed Gender-Responsive Occupational Safety and Health (G*OSH) Guidelines in collaboration with workers, health professionals, and supply chain actors. In the coming months, these will be piloted in three factories in Karur and Tiruppur, with support from management, buying houses, and brands.

Recommendations include:

  • Gender-balanced committees where women can safely report stress and harassment
  • Transparent grievance systems that don’t punish women for speaking up
  • Mental health workshops offering coping strategies grounded in their lived realities

Why This Should Matter to All of Us

These women endure conditions that would break most people and they’re treated as expendable. Their emotional distress isn’t just a personal issue; it’s built into how the garment industry runs. Rest, dignity, and emotional safety aren’t luxuries but basic rights. Brands, factory owners, governments, and consumers all share the responsibility to ensure these are upheld.