A Gender Perspective on Human Rights Due Diligence
In connection with the OECD 2022 Garment and Footwear Forum, FOKUS together with OECD Watch hosted a side session on women's rights in the global garment industry, where we invited different stakeholders to discuss available tools and mechanisms to tackle human rights violations in global supply chains. The session was titled "A Gender Perspective on Human Rights Due Diligence – Practical Tools and Experiences in Garment Supply Chain".
Publisert: 2022-02-28 Redigert: 2022-05-20
80% of garment workers are women, at high risk of sexual harassment and low pay despite broad awareness of gender-based harassment in the industry. What are the persistent hurdles to overcome these human rights violations? Which tools and mechanisms are available for brands and other stakeholders? Are these effective and useful when viewed in the light of the experiences and perspectives of non-governmental organisations, unions and labour rights organisations, producers, and buyers? What is the most important measure each of these stakeholders - as well as governments in home and host countries - should undertake to promote gender-equal and harassment-free workplaces in the global garment industry? And what would each stakeholder group challenge another stakeholder to do better?
These were the main questions for this solution-oriented side session, hosted jointly by OECD Watch and FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development.
Agenda
- Gender and the UNGPs – a brief background, Surya Deva, Chair of United Nations Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
- Panel: What are the main problems for gender-based harassment and inequalities and the barriers to addressing them? Moderated by Chidi King, Branch Chief, Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ILO.
- Shirajum Munira, Global Women Empowerment Manager, Lindex AB
- Marijn Peperkamp, Gender Focal Point, Dutch Trade Union Mondiaal-FNV
- Mousumi Sarangi, Asia Gender Liaison, Fair Wear Foundation
- Rekha Chakravarthi, Director, Business and Human Rights, Cividep, India
- Brief presentation of selected tools for addressing gender in global supply chains:
- Guide for CSOs on Gender Due Diligence, Marian Ingrams, OECD Watch
- BRS’s Gender Data and Impact (GDI) Tool, Victoria Reca, BSR
- SheDil for Human Rights Due Diligence, Per N. Bondevik, FOKUS
- The Gender-Responsive Due Diligence Platform, hosted by Dutch Women Win and the UN Women Empowerment Principles (WEP) and its Gender gap tool
- Panel 2: Reflection on tools and solutions/required action from different stakeholders. Moderated by Chidi King.
- Concluding remarks, Surya Deva.
Find the webinar recording, presentation of the tools and Q&A below.
About the organisers
FOKUS is a knowledge and resource centre on international gender issues and umbrella organization for 50 organizations in Norway. FOKUS was part of the UN Working group on business and human rights’ work leading up to the 2019 report to UN’s Human Rights Council on the gender dimensions of the UNGPs. In 2020 FOKUS launched SheDil, a pilot tool on gender-sensitive HRDD, in collaboration with industry actors, trade unions and NGOs.
OECD Watch is a global network of over 130 civil society organisations from over 50 countries that work in various ways to achieve accountability and remedy for corporate human rights violations. OECD Watch is the official representative of civil society to the OECD Investment Committee, including in respect of the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct. OECD Watch has developed guidance for civil society on evaluating whether a company's due diligence is appropriately gender-sensitive.