News & Articles
Insights, updates, and media from Cividep’s experience in the advancement of workers’ rights and corporate accountability.
| Image | Title | Summary | Date | categories_hfilter | area_of_work_hfilter | regions_hfilter | topics_hfilter | content_type_hfilter | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | What 2024 Taught Us About Worker Voices and Stakeholder Engagement | Cividep India, now in its 24th year, continues to champion ethical labour practices and improved working conditions across global supply chains. In 2024, the organisation marked significant milestones, including the launch of the Workers’ Observatory, a platform amplifying worker voices, and the release of The Home & The World of Work, a report on gender and labour in Karnataka’s apparel industry. With initiatives spanning garment, electronics, and leather sectors, Cividep combines research, advocacy, and community … | December 18, 2024 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | advocacy empowerment events projects research | bangalore tamil-nadu | 2024-recap cividep data electronics-workers garment-workers human-rights labour-rights worker-stories workers-rights workers-voices | accomplishments future initiatives deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability recap | |
 | 7 Worker Stories from 2024 That Reveal the Realities of Our Workplaces | In 2024, stories from women workers revealed the harsh realities of their workplaces, from exploitation and fear to resilience and solidarity. Cividep India, working with thousands of low-wage women workers across garments, leather, electronics, and plantations, brought these voices to light. Amid challenges like production torture, shopfloor abuse, and financial precarity, workers are finding their voices, advocating for fair treatment, and building collective strength. These powerful accounts highlight the urgent need for systemic change and … | December 18, 2024 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | advocacy empowerment events grievance-redressal legal-aid projects research worker-education | bangalore tamil-nadu | cividep data electronics-workers garment-workers human-rights labour-rights worker-stories workers-rights workers-voices | accomplishments future initiatives deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability recap | |
 | Yet Another Space for Workers’ Stories? Here’s Why This One Matters | Yet Another Space for Workers’ Stories? Here’s Why This One Matters. Discover the Lives Behind the Labels Through Workers’ Observatory — Cividep’s New Digital Space. Beneath the glamour and affordability of fast fashion 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 … | November 18, 2024 | View | business-human-rights garment | advocacy | bangalore | cividep data garment-workers human-rights labour-rights worker-stories workers-rights workers-voices | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary | A Glance Into The Lives Of Workers With Bite-Sized Stories From Factories, Homes & Communities. Know how Cividep India and its partner organisations supported nearly 100 garment workers through capacity-building initiatives. Read how one worker confronted her supervisor with Cividep’s help, 12 workers overcame financial crises, and a crucial case led to the recovery of Rs. 5 lakh in unpaid wages. | November 16, 2024 | View | garment leather | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep contract-workers garment-workers informal-workers migrant-workers sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | advocacy collective-action empowerment fair-wages workshops | |
 | Roundtable Highlights Worker Participation as Key to Improving Labour Rights in Tamil Nadu’s Electronics Sector | Cividep India and GIZ partner co-hosted a multi-stakeholder roundtable recently that highlighted worker Participation as Key to Improving Labour Rights in Tamil Nadu’s Electronics Sector. The speakers said effective stakeholder engagement, especially that of workers, will help tackle critical human rights risks facing electronics industry workers in Tamil Nadu | November 16, 2024 | View | electronics | advocacy supporting-worker-collectives | chennai sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep corporate-accountability electronics-workers freedom-of-association human-rights labour-rights tamil-nadu workers-rights | event deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | 184 Women, Two Years, One Story of Labour: Report Documents The Reality of Karnataka’s Garment Workers | Cividep recently launched The Home & The World Of Work report and a documentary that capture the harsh realities of Karnataka’s women garment workers at the Bangalore International Centre. The report, based on interviews with 184 women garment workers over two years, paints a disturbing picture of the industry’s practices. | October 24, 2024 | View | business-human-rights garment | advocacy research | bangalore karnataka | documentary garment-workers karnataka launch-event research womens-rights | event deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | When 750+ Workers Came Together To Celebrate Independence Day | Scores of electronics factory workers from Kanchipuram celebrated Independence Day, fostering community spirit through music, dance, & unity. Cividep India’s Youth Sangamam event helped them take a break from routine factory work, and escape social isolation for a few hours. | September 20, 2024 | View | electronics | advocacy research | bangalore | electronics-workers ilam-thozhargal-sangamam independence-day kanchipuram sriperumbadur | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary August 2024 | A Glance Into The Lives Of Workers With Bite-Sized Stories From Factories, Homes & Communities. Workers At Le Shoe Factory Workers In Ambur Share How They Are Coping With Unbearable Summer Heat In Factories. Meanwhile Several Garment Workers In Bengaluru Report Facing Penalties For Taking Legitimate Leave. Also Read How A Team Of Garment Workers Creatively Brainstormed Solutions To Common Occupational Health And Workplace Issues At A Workshop. | September 11, 2024 | View | business-human-rights garment leather | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep contract-workers garment-workers informal-workers migrant-workers sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | advocacy collective-action empowerment fair-wages workshops | |
 | Respect Over Rupees: How One Garment Factory Prioritised Workers (and Earned Their Loyalty) | In a world of fast fashion and high turnover, Namasthe Garments defied the odds. For over 40 years, workers here stitched together not just garments, but a life of dignity. Respectful treatment, achievable targets, and a supportive management nurtured a loyal workforce, even with minimum wage salaries. Now, as the factory shuts down, its legacy of prioritizing people over profits remains an inspiration. This story explores the unique culture Namasthe cultivated, and the impact it … | August 1, 2024 | View | garment | advocacy research | bangalore | bengaluru freedom-of-association garment-workers health human-rights minimum-wage occupational-health-safety womens-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
| Field Diary July 2024 | A Glance Into The Lives Of Workers With Bite-Sized Stories From Factories, Homes & Communities. Workers At Le Shoe Factory Workers In Ambur Share How They Are Coping With Unbearable Summer Heat In Factories. Meanwhile Several Garment Workers In Bengaluru Report Facing Penalties For Taking Legitimate Leave. Also Read How A Team Of Garment Workers Creatively Brainstormed Solutions To Common Occupational Health And Workplace Issues At A Workshop. | July 30, 2024 | View | business-human-rights garment leather | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep contract-workers garment-workers informal-workers migrant-workers sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | The Rise of Garment Worker Leaders in Bengaluru | A Cividep-Azim Premji Foundation program empowered Bengaluru garment workers. Over three years, 600 workers gained leadership and communication skills, enabling them to fight for better pay, working conditions, and healthcare. Worker Resource Centers provided support and education, fostering solidarity and replacing fear with confidence. This program not only created leaders but also improved mental wellbeing through access to counselling. | July 4, 2024 | View | business-human-rights garment | supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | india karnataka | cividep collectivisation freedom-of-association garment-workers labour-rights minimum-wage social-security womens-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary June 2024 | A Glance Into The Lives Of Workers With Bite-Sized Stories From Factories, Homes & Communities. A Health Screening Camp Organised For Garment Workers In Bengaluru Reveals A High Prevalence Of Vitamin D Deficiency And Anemia. Meanwhile Cividep’s Partner NGOs Organised Summer Camps For Children Of Garment Workers. Also Read Field Notes From A Cividep – India Labourline Team’s Interactions With Low-Wage Workers Employed In The Industrial Estates of Chennai. | July 2, 2024 | View | business-human-rights garment | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep contract-workers garment-workers informal-workers migrant-workers sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | How Can Workers Benefit from Business & Human Rights Standards? | Confused by Business & Human Rights (BHR)? This blog cuts through the jargon and explains how BHR standards hold businesses accountable for worker well-being. Learn how these standards can be used to create positive change. Explore the new handbook by Cividep India and UNDP that equips worker collectives and labour organisations to leverage BHR for better working conditions across global supply chains. | June 1, 2024 | View | business-human-rights uncategorized | supporting-worker-collectives | india | business-and-human-rights corporate-accountability education garment-workers grievance-redressal human-rights responsible-business-conduct ungps | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Field Diary May 2024 | This issue of Field Diary delves into inspiring stories of worker empowerment and solidarity across industries. A Cividep -India Labourline team rescued expolited migrant workers at a mill in Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile Worker Education Enabled Electronics Workers in Tamil Nadu In Accessing their Right To Health Protection , While Leather Homeworkers Stood Together To Demand Fair Pay. Also Read Learnings From A Cividep Team Conducting In-Factory Research on Occupational Health of Its Garment Workers. | May 31, 2024 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | ambur cividep contract-workers garment-workers layoffs sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | The Gentle Breeze Has Ceased | We have lost Lakshmi, and the fact that she’s no more has yet to sink in. When my grown-up son received the news, he was taken aback. As we talked about Lakshmi, he remembered that she had always brought a slab of chocolate for him whenever she visited us when he was a child. He also recollected that she used to make fragrant soaps and coloured candles. She was forever like a gentle breeze, never … | April 17, 2024 | View | news uncategorized | bangalore | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |||
 | Why Robust BRSR Reporting Is Good For Businesses & Labour Rights | A recent development in India, the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework, has generated significant interest. BRSR mandates the top 1,000 listed companies to disclose their environmental and social impact alongside financial data. A Cividep India workshop explored the potential of BRSR to strengthen ESG standards in the country. This blog post examines the key takeaways from the workshop, including the opportunities and challenges associated with BRSR implementation. | April 17, 2024 | View | garment | advocacy research | new-delhi | bengaluru brsr grievance-redressal human-rights human-rights-due-diligence labour-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary March 2024 | This issue of Field Diary delves into inspiring stories of worker solidarity across industries. While a homeworkers’ collective in Tamil Nadu’s leather industry is challenging unfair wages, garment factory workers in Bengaluru address issues in accessing social security claims. We also see electronics factory workers responding to exploitation by dubious contractors. | March 13, 2024 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | ambur cividep contract-workers garment-workers layoffs sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Why Do Lockdown Blues Still Plague Teens From Garment Worker Families? | The pandemic lockdown exposed the existing cracks in low-wage garment worker families. While mothers faced job losses and financial strain, their adolescent daughters grappled with a silent crisis – deteriorating mental health. This blog post explores the gendered challenges these girls face, from increased household burdens to emotional neglect. We’ll also delve into resources and support systems that can help them navigate these difficult times. | March 13, 2024 | View | garment | advocacy research | bangalore | bengaluru garment-workers grievance-redressal health human-rights occupational-health-safety womens-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | A Stitch In Time Saves Nothing For Women In Garment Factories | A new study by Cividep on Bengaluru’s women garment workers show prevalence of gendered labour and worker burnout. | January 5, 2024 | View | garment | advocacy research | bangalore | bengaluru garment-workers grievance-redressal health human-rights occupational-health-safety womens-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | What’s In The 2023 Field Diary? Worker Stories of Struggles & Hope | A roundup of Cividep 2023 field diary stories that provide a glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | December 5, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development worker-education | ambur bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | electronics grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage occupational-health-safety provident-fund social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Field Diary October 2023 | This issue of Field Diary explores how workers continue facing mounting challenges across industries. In the garment sector, many workers are increasingly shifting to piece rate work due to flexible schedules and better earnings. Electronics workers in Sriperumbudur grapple with layoffs and lack of permanent employment. Meanwhile, Cividep’s partner organisations continue to encourage the spirit of worker solidarity through new ways such as building more compact alliances of workers through SHGs. | November 17, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development supporting-worker-collectives worker-education | bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep contract-workers garment-workers layoffs sez shgs social-security sriperumbudur workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Operationalising Labour Rights Project Tracks Social Life of Grievances in Garment Factories | Key insights from Cardiff University & Cividep India’s research on labour rights and access to remedy in Bangalore’s garment industry were presented at a recent conference. Operationalising Labour Rights (OLR) Project, a collaborative initiative by WISERD, Cardiff Business School, and Cividep, uncovers workplace struggles, and highlights role of research in seeking change and empowering workers | November 6, 2023 | View | business-human-rights garment | advocacy research | bangalore cardiff india united-kingdom | access-to-remedy collectivisation grievance-mechanism grievance-redressal migrant-workers shoe-factori social-security wages womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Portrait Of A Researcher: How Prof Jean Jenkins & Team Devised A Way To Understand Garment Workers | Initial findings from Operationalising Labour Rights project, led by a team at Cardiff University, with Cividep, show worker grievances and power relations in the garment industry. | November 6, 2023 | View | business-human-rights garment | grievance-redressal research | bangalore cardiff india karnataka united-kingdom | cividep corporate-accountability freedom-of-association garment-workers grievance-redressal labour-rights olr research workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary September 2023 | This issue of Field Diary explores how workers continue facing mounting challenges across industries. The garment sector grapples with stagnant wages and potential extended work hours due to new legislation. Electronics workers in Sriperumbudur anticipate festive bonuses, often denied or substituted with household items. Layoffs in electronics and shoe factories highlight the instability of contract work and the gradual erosion of job security. Many workers, despite years of service, find themselves without due compensation or … | October 25, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development legal-aid worker-education | ambur bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | ambur cividep female-labour-force-participation garment-workers home-based-workers occupational-health-safety sez social-security womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | A Decade of Strides: Worker Voices Resonate In Ambur | Cividep marks a decade in Ambur, South India’s leather manufacturing hub, supporting low-wage workers, championing their rights and creating a wave of awareness and change. Our story intertwines with those of the workers, like Soniya, whose lives have been transformed through empowerment and advocacy through outreach activities. Navigate through this journey of challenges, strategies, and triumph. | September 29, 2023 | View | leather | advocacy development worker-education | ambur tamil-nadu | ambur cividep collectivisation home-based-workers homewokers leather-workers shoe-factori shoe-factory-workers tannery-workers wages womens-rights workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary August 2023 | This edition of Field Diary is all about the Cividep team and partners reaching out to women workers – using technology on the field, going to far-flung villages to meet workers, and offering counselling support to deal with work-related and personal troubles. | September 20, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development legal-aid worker-education | ambur cividep female-labour-force-participation garment-workers home-based-workers occupational-health-safety sez social-security womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Stories from The Spots: Mapping Chennai’s Labour Hotspots | A photo story mapping Chennai city’s labour hotspots, capturing moments from the Cividep-India Labour Line team’s work in reaching out to the city’s informal and low-wage workforce with their labour helpline 1-800-833-9020. The team gathers everyday stories of workers’ struggles at these gathering spots that range from defunct mill premises to tea shops, attracting migrants from near and far. | August 30, 2023 | View | business-human-rights | development worker-education | chennai tamil-nadu | cividep collectivisation contract-workers india-labour-line informal-workers labour-helpline labour-hotspots labour-struggles womens-rights workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | |
 | Field Diary July 2023 | This latest edition of the Cividep Field Diary is all about women lifting each other up – from mobilizing fellow workers for awareness meetings in the community, discussing the interconnectedness of health, gender, and work; the barriers to sustaining careers in the factory, and much more. | August 17, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development legal-aid worker-education | ambur cividep female-labour-force-participation garment-workers home-based-workers occupational-health-safety sez social-security womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Women Garment Workers : Overworked, Underpaid, and Unwell | Kaveri MT Looks At How Poor Working Conditions In Garment Factories Are Linked To Health Issues Among Women Workers. This Is Part of Cividep’s Latest Research On Occupational Health Issues Among Bangalore’s Garment Workers | August 3, 2023 | View | garment | development occupational-health research | bangalore karnataka | garment-workers wages womens-rights workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary 2023: June | A glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | July 7, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather | development worker-education | ambur bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | electronics grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage occupational-health-safety provident-fund social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Not Quite a Free Ride For Women Workers On Buses | The article delves into the hurdles encountered by Bengaluru’s low-wage garment workers in benefiting from the Shakti scheme that provides free travel for women in government buses. Owing to connectivity challenges and limited bus services, the reliance on alternative transportation methods remain. It emphasizes the scheme’s potential impact on women’s mobility and labor force participation, and brings out the need for improved last-mile connectivity nad frequency of buses. | June 29, 2023 | View | garment | development | bangalore karnataka | garment-workers wages womens-rights workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Why European Parliament’s Take On Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Is Significant: STITCH | The latest EU-CSDD position would positively impact garment workers, says Cividep India, and other STITCH consortium partners. Yet, there is scope for more. | June 9, 2023 | View | business-human-rights | advocacy | europe india | cividep corporate-accountability csdd eu-legislation garment-workers stitch sustainable-business | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Field Diary 2023: May | A glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | June 5, 2023 | View | business-human-rights garment leather | development worker-education | ambur bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | electronics grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage occupational-health-safety provident-fund social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | How A Phone Call Freed Sailesh & Friends From Workplace | How Cividep’s recent foray into running the Tamil Nadu wing of a national labour helpline led to the rescue migrant workers trapped in forced labour in Chennai. Read the challenges faced by migrant workers in the informal sector and the importance of timely grievance redressal. | May 29, 2023 | View | business-human-rights | grievance-redressal legal-aid worker-education | chennai tamil-nadu | grievance-redressal india-labour-line informal-workers labour-department labour-helpline labour-rights migrant-workers workers-rights working-peoples-charter | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Workers Gain When Businesses Actively Mitigate Human Rights Risks | Cividep Director Deepika Rao speaks about the potential transformative impact of European due diligence laws on Indian workers. It explains how Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) regulations can reshape working conditions, safeguard labor rights, and encourage stakeholder collaboration. Additionally, the importance of social dialogue, effective grievance mechanisms, and the benefits for businesses and workers is elaborated. | May 29, 2023 | View | business-human-rights | advocacy | india | corporate-accountability csr esg grievance-mechanism grievance-redressal human-rights human-rights-due-diligence living-wage minimum-wage social-dialogue workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | What changes await workers, brands & suppliers in readymade garment sector: Karnataka Factories Act Amendments | Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2023, proposes wide-reaching changes to working hours, rest intervals and the employment of women in night shifts. The bill has serious implications for workers’ welfare | May 12, 2023 | View | business-human-rights garment uncategorized | bangalore india karnataka | double-burden factories-act-amendment health human-rights karnataka-amendment minimum-wage occupational-health-safety womens-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | ||
 | Work or Home? What Comes First? Workers Say Both. | On May Day, workers talk about the historic struggle that brought in 8-hour work days across the world. They worry about a possible shift to 12-hour work days that could throw their lives out of balance | May 1, 2023 | View | business-human-rights electronics garment leather news | advocacy development worker-education | ambur bangalore india karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | 12-hour-work-days 8-hour-work-days ambur bengaluru cividep factories-act factories-act-amendment human-rights karnataka labour-rights tamil-nadu | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary 2023: April | A glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | April 30, 2023 | View | business-human-rights garment leather | development worker-education | ambur bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | electronics grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage occupational-health-safety provident-fund social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Uncovering The Labour Behind Leather | Work Is Cut Out For Cividep & Partners Despite Positive Outcomes At The Close of The Multi-agency ‘Decent Leather Project’ | April 10, 2023 | View | leather | advocacy development worker-education | ambur tamil-nadu | ambur cividep covid-19 education esi global-supply-chains human-rights labour-rights leather-manufacturing minimum-wage occupational-health-safety shoe-factory-workers tannery-workers | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Field Diary 2023: March | A glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | April 6, 2023 | View | electronics garment | development worker-education | bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | covid-19 electronics esi gender-based-violence grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage news occupational-health-safety social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Field Diary 2023: January | A glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | March 2, 2023 | View | electronics garment leather | development worker-education | ambur bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | covid-19 grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage news occupational-health-safety social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Women Workers’ Health Need Better Focus In Garment & Footwear Industries: Panel | Women Workers’ Health Need Better Focus In Garment & Footwear Industries: Expert Panel | February 21, 2023 | View | garment leather | advocacy research | bangalore | cividep garment-workers home-based-workers occupational-health-safety womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Beyond The Factory Floor: How Cividep Field Officers Promote Workers’ Rights Education | A day-in-the-life of Cividep’s field officers working to empower workers and worker collectives through rights education | February 8, 2023 | View | electronics garment leather | worker-education | ambur bangalore karnataka sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | cividep collectivisation education freedom-of-association labour-laws labour-rights social-security workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Struggles of Leather & Footwear Workers Continue Despite Industry Recovery: New Study | Struggles of leather workers continue despite leather industry recovery post-Covid: latest Cividep research | February 6, 2023 | View | leather | |||||
 | Star of Ambur: Not Biriyani But Women Who Stitch Fancy Shoes For A Pittance | A photo story of Ambur’s leather homeworkers. | January 18, 2023 | View | leather | worker-education | ambur tamil-nadu | cividep collectivisation health home-based-workers informal-workers womens-rights workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | |
 | I am a changed person | Stories Of 3 Women Workers From Cividep’s First Annual Report Show Enduring Ability To Fight Back | December 30, 2022 | View | annual-report uncategorized | india | award cividep corporate-accountability covid covid-relief covid-19-relief electronics esther-busser garment-workers labour-rights leather social-work | annual-report | ||
 | Field Diary 2022 | A glance into worker lives with bite-sized stories from the factory, household, worker communities, and more. | December 28, 2022 | View | electronics garment leather | development worker-education | ambur bangalore sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | covid-19 grievance-redressal health human-rights minimum-wage news occupational-health-safety social-security womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Aren’t We All Storytellers? | Good storytelling can make our work more enjoyable, writes Cividep founder Gopinath Parakuni | December 23, 2022 | View | news | advocacy | india | business emails industry-repports labour-rights life nonprofit-life social-work storytelling | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | What’s In An Award? | A Lot If You Go By How Cividep Has Been Inspired After The Esther Busser Prize | November 29, 2022 | View | business-human-rights news | bangalore india | award collectivisation corporate-accountability education esther-busser freedom-of-association news | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Weaving A Future in Fluent English | Cividep’s spoken English classes for garment workers’ children find takers, writes Nikita Joseph | November 21, 2022 | View | garment | development | bangalore | covid-impact covid-19 education | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Leather Homeworkers Face Many Health Risks | Problems linked to lack of recognition of workers, writes Kohila Senbagam | March 14, 2022 | View | business-human-rights leather | research | ambur tamil-nadu | home-based-workers informal-workers minimum-wage occupational-health-safety social-security womens-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | When Will Leather Brands Pay Living Wages? | Pradeepan Ravi explains why brands shouldn’t ignore international standards on wages. | March 4, 2022 | View | business-human-rights leather | advocacy research | ambur tamil-nadu | covid-19 human-rights living-wage workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Let’s #BreakTheBias in the textile industry! | As a member of the Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together for Change (STITCH) consortium, Cividep India along with our partners, launches our International Women’s Day 2022 campaign. STITCH commits to reducing gender-based disadvantages; addressing the stigma, stereotypes, prejudice, and violence workers face; and facilitating women’s participation in social dialogue | March 4, 2022 | View | garment | advocacy | bangalore | freedom-of-association womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Cividep India’s rapid response relief project for COVID-affected garment workers | With APPI’s support, Cividep launched a relief project for alleviating some of the distress that garment workers have faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Workers whose factories had shut down or were employed for only a few days in a month, either as piece-rate workers or regular workers, were allocated cash transfers. We document our approach, the results achieved, and learnings from the period of extreme distress faces by workers. | June 26, 2021 | View | garment | development relief | bangalore karnataka | covid-19 covid-19-relief health | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | A new living wage benchmark for tea workers | We discuss the concept of a workers’ living wage in the context of tea plantations in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, and compare existing living wage calculations in the light of learnings from a social sustainability study conducted jointly by Cividep India and Finnwatch. | June 3, 2021 | View | plantation | advocacy research | nilgiris tamil-nadu | human-rights living-wage minimum-wage workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Leather workers of Tamil Nadu: First-wave induced economic shocks and the need for sustained relief | This article highlights the main findings of a research study conducted by Cividep and its partners INKOTA, Sudwind, and SLD to assess the impact of the unprecedented lockdowns in 2020 on the lives of leather sector workers of Ambur, Tamil Nadu. Cividep’s relief measures to help alleviate the workers’ distress are also described here. | March 15, 2021 | View | leather | research | ambur tamil-nadu | covid-19 workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | ILO features Cividep’s advocacy for homeworkers with global brand | On completion of 25 years of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Homework Convention (177), which calls for protection and equal rights to all homeworkers, the ILO have published a comprehensive report about homeworking. Included within this report is a case study of the work that Cividep undertook in collaboration with Homeworkers Worldwide and Pentland Brands. | January 21, 2021 | View | business-human-rights leather | advocacy | ambur tamil-nadu | corporate-accountability home-based-workers informal-workers workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Human rights due diligence in India’s leather industry: A long way to go | A study by Cividep India, Homeworkers Worldwide, and Ethical Trading Initiative identified adverse labour rights risks and impacts in factories and informal supply chains of leather goods production clusters in India. Companies need to conduct more comprehensive due diligence, involving civil society organizations, in industries such as the export-oriented leather sector in India, with complex and largely unmapped supply chains. | December 3, 2020 | View | leather | advocacy research | ambur tamil-nadu | corporate-accountability human-rights occupational-health-safety social-security womens-rights workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Home-based work in the time of Covid-19 for women in Ambur | COVID-19 has exacerbated the precarity of working conditions for the leather home workers of Tamil Nadu- with less work, delayed payments, and further scope of exploitation. On International Homeworkers Day 2020, they got together to release a charter of basic demands including formal recognition, minimum wages, and social security. We examine the impacts of COVID on their lives and livelihoods. | October 20, 2020 | View | leather | advocacy research | ambur nilgiris tamil-nadu | covid-19 home-based-workers human-rights informal-workers workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | Pandemic-induced layoffs in Tamil Nadu’s leather industry | Cividep India’s Pradeepan Ravi gives inputs in this news story on the alarming rate of post-pandemic layoffs happening in Tamil Nadu’s leather industry, and how workers, especially women, are struggling to cope. | July 28, 2020 | View | leather | ambur tamil-nadu | covid-19 | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Realities of home-based labour in India’s leather sector | In collaboration with the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, we contributed to a blog miniseries on the plight of invisible homeworkers in global supply chains. In a set of two articles, we discuss the importance of worker collectivization and the criticality of more rigorous due diligence by brands for enabling improvements in complex supply chains. | May 1, 2020 | View | leather | research | ambur tamil-nadu | collectivisation corporate-accountability home-based-workers | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Bitter Brew: Poor working conditions in Nilgiri tea plantations | Plantation workers of the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu form the backbone of India’s world-famous export-oriented tea industry. We reflect on how they still endure low minimum wage standards, bad housing, and healthcare facilities, roadblocks to effective unionization, double vulnerability as migrants, and overall lack of access to a decent quality of life. | December 27, 2019 | View | plantation | research | nilgiris tamil-nadu | freedom-of-association migrant-workers minimum-wage workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | A Feature on the 2019 Fair Finance India Scorecard | The Fair Finance India report 2019, co-authored by Cividep, finds mention in this feature by Deccan Herald. This report assesses the policies and practices of eight top Indian banks, and analyses snd rates their performance against various environmental, social, and governance standards. This is sought to encourage Indian banks to set in place transformational policies that will pave the way for sustainable, responsible, and fair finance. | October 2, 2019 | View | business-human-rights | research | corporate-accountability | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Remembering Jane Tate, who stood with the most vulnerable workers | Cividep India reflects on the indelible work of the late Jane Tate, a founding member of Home Workers Worldwide (HWW), for advancing the cause of home-workers all over the world, and the past opportunities we’ve had in working and learning from her. | May 22, 2019 | View | business-human-rights leather | advocacy | tamil-nadu | home-based-workers human-rights workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | #Whomademyclothes: Social media initiatives and the cause of garment workers | Cividep’s Gopinath Parakuni shares his thoughts in a Times of India story on recent social media initiatives to promote ‘ethical’ fashion and how effective small-scale efforts like these may be in bringing about wider structural change in the industry. | May 20, 2019 | View | garment | advocacy | workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Inaugural UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights | Cividep India participates in a panel discussion on ‘Labour standards beyond the factory walls’, at the Inaugural UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights organized by UNDP and the UN working group on Business and Human Rights. | April 1, 2019 | View | business-human-rights | advocacy | corporate-accountability human-rights policy workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Podcast on migrant workers in Bangalore’s garment industry | Deepika Rao of Cividep India talks to the Institute for Human Rights and Business in this podcast on the living and working conditions of migrant workers in Bangalore’s garment industry, the numerous ways in which they are denied their rights and entitlements due to their vulnerabilities as outsiders in an alien city. | February 5, 2019 | View | garment | research | bangalore | migrant-workers womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | A conversation between Cividep India and Cardiff Business School | We dwell into Cividep’s work in operationalizing labour rights and access to remedy and our association with Cardiff Business School, in a conversation with Dr. Jean Jenkins, a professor of the school. | October 4, 2018 | View | business-human-rights | workers-rights | press-releases | |||
 | #WhoCares? campaign for business responsibilities towards childcare and maternity rights | The #WhoCares? campaign, run by FEMNET, is aimed at European consumers and asks Who Cares for the children of seamstresses in India, for maternity rights and childcare, and companies’ due diligence towards their social responsibilities. Cividep, in partnership with FEMNET, has had a long-term engagement with research and documentation of the conditions of childcare and maternity rights in garment factories in Bangalore as well as capacity building with regards to their improvement. | June 1, 2018 | View | business-human-rights garment | advocacy | bangalore | womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Women Workers in India – The ‘Invisible Majority’ | A study by Cividep India on occupational health hazards faced by garment worker women finds mentioned in this Indian Express article on the invisible majority fuelling India’s urban revolution – women who’re increasingly migrating to cities for work. | May 25, 2018 | View | garment | research | bangalore | health occupational-health-safety womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Cividep at a Round-Table Conference at the University of Valencia, Spain | Video proceedings of a round-table conference at the Universitat De Valencia, Faculty of Law where Cividep India spoke about working conditions in the Indian leather industry, as part of a larger campaign with academics, trade unions and civil society organizations in Europe. | January 2, 2018 | View | business-human-rights leather | advocacy | corporate-accountability home-based-workers workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Women and minimum wages | Cividep India’s inputs find mention in this comprehensive article series on discriminatory and inhuman working conditions faced by Bangalore’s garment workers. | April 20, 2017 | View | garment | bangalore | minimum-wage womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Working conditions in Tamil Nadu’s tanneries | Cividep India’s research report, ‘Tougher than Leather’, finds mention in this Pulitzer Centre story on environmental and human rights violations in India’s tannery industry that contributes a major percentage to the world’s leather production. Untreated effluents, workers operating in direct contact with toxic chemicals, and at risk of skin and lung problems, accidents etc., are just some of the problems plaguing the industry. | March 10, 2017 | View | leather | research | ambur tamil-nadu | human-rights occupational-health-safety | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | NGO coalition on youth and migrant labour | Cividep in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur convened a meeting of NGOs working for the cause of young migrant workers. We identified common challenges faced in our work, exchanged lessons, and took a collective pledge for the cause of the most vulnerable workers. | March 5, 2017 | View | business-human-rights | advocacy | tamil-nadu | collectivisation informal-workers workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | From temple town to industrial hub: through the eyes of young workers | Conversations with young, first-generation female workers of electronics factories in the industrial hub of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on how they perceive industrialization and its consequent changes on their formerly rural landscapes, their lives, and whether their jobs are meeting their newfound expectations and aspirations for a better life. | January 24, 2017 | View | electronics | research | sriperumbudur | minimum-wage womens-rights workers-rights | deep-dives-into-labour-rights-corporate-accountability | |
 | 19 Public Reports Published by Corporate Accountability Research | As a result of five years of research on non-judicial redress mechanisms against human rights abuses, Corporate Accountability has published a set of reports as a reference for people seeking access to remedy. They offer a deep dive into the role, working, and efficiency of these mechanisms. Cividep India has also actively collaborated in these research efforts. | January 3, 2017 | View | business-human-rights | research | grievance-redressal human-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | Th need for a legally-binding treaty on business and human rights: A podcast | Surya Deva, Associate Professor at the School of Law of the City University of Hong Kong and Member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights speaks on why we need a legally binding treaty to regulate corporations with respect to human rights. | September 26, 2016 | View | business-human-rights | corporate-accountability policy | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | |||
 | Brands come face-to-face with their ‘invisible’ workforce | A Reuters news article features a historic meeting that brought together homeworkers and manufacturers of Tamil Nadu’s leather industry with international leather brands for the first time. This was organized as a part of our research endeavor mapping the role of homeworkers, an otherwise invisible workforce in the global supply chain of leather goods. | April 6, 2016 | View | leather | research | ambur tamil-nadu | corporate-accountability womens-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Our research on Ambur’s homeworkers featured by Reuters | The ‘Stitching our Shoes’ research report co-authored by Cividep, Homeworkers Worldwide and Labour Behind the Label, is featured in this piece by Reuters. Our research reports how women homeworkers of Tamil Nadu, women who are an integral part of the global supply-chain manufacturing high-end shoes, but get paid below minimum wages and have no recognition as workers. | April 5, 2016 | View | leather | research | ambur | home-based-workers minimum-wage womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Cividep’s Gopinath Parakuni featured as a notable DTP alumnus | The Diplomacy Training Program acknowledged Mr Gopinath Parakuni, Cividep’s General Secretary, for his commendable work in supporting worker organising and collectivisation in India’s export garment industry. | March 28, 2016 | View | business-human-rights | collectivisation human-rights workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |||
 | SOMO showcases Cividep’s engagement with workers in India’s export sectors | Cividep thanks SOMO (The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations) for featuring our achievements in furthering labour rights and welfare in the March issue of the SOMO News. Laura Ceresna, Cividep’s Policy Advisor, describes our work. | March 9, 2016 | View | business-human-rights | corporate-accountability freedom-of-association policy workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |||
 | An event on garment factory creches and child care facilities | August 18, 2015 | View | garment | advocacy | bangalore karnataka | policy womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | An Introduction to Cividep – Video | Gopinath Parakuni, General Secretary – Cividep India, gives a brief description of the organisation and its work. Watch Video | January 25, 2015 | View | uncategorized | |||||
 | GoodElectronics presents 5 demands to EICC | GoodElectronics, a civil society network working for human rights in the electronics industry, releases a set of demands aimed at the EICC, a body of electronics brands and manufacturers for addressing issues related to supply chain transparency and workers rights. | June 4, 2014 | View | electronics | advocacy | corporate-accountability freedom-of-association workers-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | FM4 Vienna interviews Laura of Cividep India | Laura Ceresna of Cividep India talks to FM4 Vienna on the vulnerabilities faced by young, first-generation industrial workers in the electronics and automobile manufacturing hub of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu facing exploitative working conditions, a situation exacerbated by lack of information about their rights as workers. | February 9, 2014 | View | electronics | research | sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | corporate-accountability informal-workers occupational-health-safety workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | |
 | Corporate governance and the UN Guiding Principles – UN Forum on Business and Human Rights | At the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights 2013, Cividep India speaks on how global companies operating in India fail to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, with most failing to even frame basic human rights policies. | February 9, 2014 | View | business-human-rights | advocacy | corporate-accountability human-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | ||
 | OECD Watch Case Check | A customized online tool developed by OECD Watch, for potential complainants to better understand how OECD guidelines may be applicable for individual instances of corporate misconduct and guidance on how to go ahead with each case. | January 14, 2014 | View | business-human-rights | advocacy | corporate-accountability grievance-redressal | labour-news-interviews-from-india | ||
 | The Dark Side of the Bargain Mobile Phones | A film showcasing the other side of ‘affordable’ mobile phones – by documenting the lives of young workers who make them, facing appalling conditions, low wages, unpaid overtime hours, and much more. | July 9, 2013 | View | electronics | sriperumbudur tamil-nadu | corporate-accountability workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | ||
 | Cividep at the Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct | Cividep India’s address at the OECD Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct 2013, on the need for more corporate accountability with respect to businesses in the ICT sector in India. We spoke on the risks and adverse impacts to workers that companies need to pay attention to. These relate to OHS, increasing contractualization of labour, and lack of freedom of association and grievance mechanisms for workers. | July 9, 2013 | View | electronics | advocacy | tamil-nadu | corporate-accountability policy | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Study exploring childcare in Bangalore’s garment sector | Fibre2Fashion.com features our collaborative study on the provision and quality of childcare and creche facilities in Bangalore’s garment factories and the results of a consequent multi-stakeholder consultation with the state government. | October 6, 2012 | View | garment | advocacy research | bangalore | health womens-rights | labour-news-interviews-from-india | |
 | Above the Din of Sewing Machines | A film documenting the exploitative work conditions of women garment workers in Bangalore, an industry largely geared towards exporting to big brands in the West. Despite the high turnover and export revenues earned, the workers of this industry toil with extremely low wages, in an atmosphere of constant fear and intimidation. | December 18, 2010 | View | uncategorized | advocacy | bangalore tamil-nadu | health mental-health womens-rights workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips | |
 | Garment workers – A photo series | A photo series featuring the everyday lives of garment workers, and the consequences of labouring under an exploitative system – with abusive supervisors, sexual harassment, long and unaccounted for overtime work, medical negligence, and much more. | March 13, 2010 | View | garment | bangalore | health mental-health occupational-health-safety womens-rights workers-rights | snapshots-into-civideps-work-through-video-and-audio-clips |