Discover the Lives Behind the Labels Through Workers’ Observatory — Cividep’s New Digital Space
When we grab a trendy shirt or dress from a fast fashion outlet, how often do we stop to consider its journey or the hands that made it? Beneath the glamour and affordability lies an intricate web of labour, where thousands of garment workers, mostly women, spend long hours crafting the designs we see on store racks. Yet, their stories — of struggle, resilience, and sacrifice — are rarely told. Cividep India’s new initiative, the Worker’s Observatory (in pic above), gives a much-needed look into their world, offering a platform for workers’ voices and using research and data to highlight the inequities deeply embedded in the industry.
Through real-life stories, the Worker’s Observatory peels back the layers of wage insufficiency, discrimination, and labour practices that demand so much from garment workers yet give so little in return. Here’s a glimpse into the lives of just a few of these workers:
Consider Sheela, a garment worker who, each month, battles to make her income stretch. Faced with an ever-tightening budget, she cuts back on essentials like nutritious food and healthcare, limiting her meals and skipping doctor visits to save what little she can. She often walks long distances instead of taking the bus and forgoes even basic hygiene products. To manage, Sheela gives up small comforts, putting aside ₹500 she would have spent on medicines and another ₹500 by avoiding outings or entertainment. The constant compromises are exhausting and have real, long-term impacts — not only on her health but on her children’s well-being and future. Read her story here.
Then there’s Rangamma, whose story illustrates the harsh reality for many garment workers in factories. Working for a high-end export factory in Bengaluru, she spends her days stitching shirt collars under intense pressure. Her workday begins before dawn, at 5:30 a.m., stretches far into the night, and is filled with relentless quotas and abusive supervision. Rangamma endures verbal, physical, and even sexual harassment as part of her daily routine, working within a system that shows little regard for her rights or well-being. The toll of this constant abuse affects her physically, mentally, and emotionally, a hidden cost of the industry’s pursuit of low-cost, high-speed production.
These stories underscore the difficult realities facing garment workers and reflect a wider pattern of systemic exploitation. The Workers’ Observatory provides a vital platform to amplify their voices, using storytelling to bring awareness to the working conditions hidden behind the clothes we buy.
Adding depth to these narratives are infographics that dive into specific aspects of workers’ lives. They reveal vital data points, such as the proportion of women workers who are married, their caste demographics, and their educational backgrounds. These insights provide a richer understanding of the intersecting challenges they face, such as the double burden of managing household responsibilities alongside factory work.
By analysing these data points, the Observatory allows us to ask deeper questions about the systemic factors shaping their lives, including the barriers to career advancement and the limited growth opportunities. This resource not only sheds light on the lived experiences of garment workers but also equips us to advocate for more equitable working conditions and policies.
The Observatory also houses Cividep’s latest Work in Progress podcast which aims to provide expert insights into the world of work. In its inaugural episode, Dr. Supriya Roy-Chowdhury (left in pic), Visiting Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, and author of Cividep India’s research report The Home and the World of Work, addresses the pressing issue of wage disparity. Despite the implementation of the 2019 Code on Wages, many garment workers continue to face underpayment, leaving them trapped in cycles of economic hardship.
The Workers’ Observatory is more than a digital platform — it’s a call to action. Engage with its offerings, from podcasts to data visualisations, and share these stories widely and help highlight the systemic injustices garment workers face. Visit the Workers’ Observatory today.
