Homeworkers Worldwide (HWW), Labour Behind the Label, and Cividep India, came together to tell the story of thousands of women homeworkers in Ambur, South India stitching leather shoes for export. The product of this endeavor, the Stitching Our Shoes report, was published in March 2016. The report focuses on the plight of these women, who are largely an invisible workforce, not recognized or acknowledged as workers by their employers, their government, and even their families. They are excluded from legal protection, ignored by official statistics, and often overlooked by trade unions, researchers, and campaigners working in the sector.
As a result, homeworkers have the lowest pay, (in a sector that is already low-paid); their employment is precarious, and they are denied employment benefits such as health insurance, pension contributions, or health and safety protection.
As a part of the project, a first-of-its-kind meeting was organized that brought together homeworkers, manufacturers, and brands. The proceedings were covered in this story by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
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Brands lace-up to map “invisible” shoemakers in south India
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