The 4 Biggest Women’s Empowerment Programs in the Fashion Industry RISE to Scale Impact

BSRS HIS project, Gap IncS
RATE

program, CARE And Better Jobs have joined for a new initiative called
RISE: Reimagining the Industry to Support Equality to measure impact and accelerate equity for women working in global garment, footwear and home furnishing supply chains.

That ILO
estimation
75 per cent of the 60 million garment workers worldwide are women with limited ability to advance in their role, limited control over their earnings and increased risk of harassment, among other systemic barriers to empowerment and gender equality in supply chains.

While many organizations have worked for years to increase women’s empowerment, in a speech by the Commission on the Status of Women ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March) this year, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, Progress won over decades is disappearing before our eyes, and declared: Gender equality
grow further. On the current track, United Nations women placing it 300 years away.

From collaboration to integration

Each of RISE’s four founding partners began working on gender equality around 2007 and have collaborated on specific initiatives on an ad hoc basis. However, they soon realized that similar on-the-job training was sometimes provided in the same workplace, creating duplication and confusion across the industry; So, the founding partners decided to move from collaboration to integration.

For a very long time, we have been telling businesses that advancing gender equality is best done in a collaborative way. No single entity can overcome this alone. With that, it soon became clear that coming together as one is the only way to accelerate progress on gender equality in the supply chain and RISE was born, explains the Executive Director Christine’s answer.

Combining the expertise of the founding partners

RISE combines four organizations with 15+ years of experience in implementing women’s empowerment programs in global supply chains. The organization works with 50 of the world’s biggest clothing brands and has reached more than five million working women globally. RISE will build on the proven approaches and expertise of the four founding organizations, delivered through a growing network of local partners in Indonesia Bangladesh, China, Vietnamese, Cambodia, Indonesia,
India, Egypt And Pakistan.

By joining together to found RISE, our industry can leverage the strongest elements of each of our proven empowerment programs to have a deeper, wider, and more consistent impact on the women who work in our supply chain, said
Sally GilliganChief Growth Transformation Officer, Gap Inc. on behalf of PACE

Scale impact across industries

RISE will support brands, buyers and suppliers to empower women working in their garment, footwear and home furnishing supply chains, and have a broader impact in promoting gender equality in the industry as a whole. RISE will pursue its mission through three core strategies: (1) strengthening knowledge and skills for factory workers and managers; (2) changing business practices to include gender equality, and (3) influencing public policies and other key actors.

Joining BSR’s HER project with other leading women’s empowerment programs is a logical and necessary next step to take this proven solution to scale, said
Aaron Cramer, President and CEO of BSR. As a combined force, RISE can tackle the complex issue of gender equality in the global garment supply chain and deliver real action and impact for women businesses and workers.

Companies that support the development of RISE, among others Abercrombie & Fitch Co,
Aje and Aje Athletica, AEO Inc (American eagle And Aerie),
BEST SELLING, Boden, Capri Holdings, Charter, Columbia Sportswear Company, That, Hanna Anderson, Inditex, Macys Inc, Mark & ​​Spencer, New balance, Primary sign, PVH Corp, Ralph Lauren, Tapestry, Inc, Target, Children’s Place, The Walt Disney Company, Warehouse (New Zealand), Victoria’s Secret & Co, VF Company And Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

The potential for this partnership to impact change at all levels from the company upwards is unparalleled as it brings together so many brands and retailers and industry stakeholders who all agree on the importance of collaborating to improve working conditions for women, particularly in the workplace. the garment sector, he said Conor BoylePerson in Charge at Better Work.

Changing behavior and systems

RISE’s workplace capacity building program aims to increase the dignity and equality of women in the workplace, by changing attitudes and systems. The program expands workers’ choices and their abilities and confidence to pursue their rights and opportunities. The training also engages managers and male colleagues to challenge social norms in the workplace.

RISE goes beyond workplace programs to drive positive change across industries and influence policy improvements. This includes the voice and representation of workers at every level from governance to project implementation, ensuring that the work responds to the needs and priorities of women in the workplace.

“CARE is excited to be part of this collaborative effort to transform the apparel industry. RISE will bring together stakeholders across industry brands, suppliers, women’s rights organizations and trade unions to achieve systemic change driven by women’s voices,” said Lona StollVP Innovation and Impact at CARE.

Galvanizing industrial action

Brands, buyers and suppliers can join RISE and invest in workplace programs for their garment supply chains. The program currently operates in Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, India, Egypt and Pakistan.

The time has come to increase support for women workers in global garment supply chains, stressed Svarer. RISE will benefit from the proven approach of its founding partners and go the extra mile to reach more women, expand into more geographies, and create more change. Brands and suppliers can immediately join RISE to take serious action on gender equality.