Gender Inequity
The garment industry has long been shaped by gendered patterns of exploitation, including discrimination, harassment, job insecurity, and barriers to advancement that disproportionately impact women.
Women Drive Global Garment Production
Women make up more than half of the global garment workforce, and around 80% in some regions, meaning addressing the systemic barriers women face is central to creating an enabling environment for labor rights to flourish.
Despite women making up the majority of the garment workforce, there is often a false distinction made between labor rights and women’s rights, with the uniquely interconnected way labor issues impact women historically ignored. Women are usually employed in lower paid positions and face specific forms of discrimination and abuse.
Through our investigations, factory monitoring, and collaboration with partners, unions and women’s organizations, the WRC has been at the forefront of identifying and combating the structural inequities and due diligence failings that perpetuate gender-based abuses. This includes tackling issues such as gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace and gendered discrimination, as well as the undervaluation of women’s labor through advocating for a living wage. By centering the voices and experiences of women workers, the WRC not only exposes rights violations, but also helps to build systems of accountability that advance gender justice across the apparel industry.
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