Homeworkers tell their own stories
Around the world, millions of women are working as homeworkers for the global fashion industry. Typically employed informally by subcontractors and drawn from the poorest communities, women homeworkers are the sector’s worst paid and most insecure workers. Despite this, for many women, particularly those with young children or elderly dependents, homeworking offers a vital source of family income and banning this practice only pushes it further underground.
Homework is often ignored by brands – who prefer to turn a blind eye to subcontracting or ban the practice entirely. But if home workers had formal recognition, from both brands and the state, they could demand basic benefits like fair pay, health and safety measures, and pensions.
Transform Trade has been working alongside homeworkers for four years, to map supply chains down to the homeworker level. This programme has helped fashion brands introduce simple systems that document homeworkers’ contribution and wages, and develop action plans that drive transparency, best practices and improve working conditions.
Members of an all-female homeworkers cooperative took part in a five-month project documenting their experiences as home workers in the fashion supply chain. This way of documenting stories, known as participatory photography, puts the narrative back in the hands of those in the story. Rather than being interviewed by outsiders, participants document their own lives and share their stories on their own terms. They spent three months documenting their experiences as homeworkers – the challenges, the upsides, and the day-to-day struggle. They shared these stories with us but are also using them to inform their own campaigning work – demanding recognition as a formal category of workers by the state of Tamil Nadu, which would mean they could access state benefits, like sick pay and pensions.
“I’d like to keep taking photos after this project. I’m happy we can continue to use the cameras. Before I just wanted pictures to look beautiful, but now I want to capture my work step by step. I want to take photos for income generation. Once I took the camera home, everyone wanted to join in – to get the same training.”
- J Sathya (pictured right) shares her experiences
“This elderly couple live three roads from me. Her son is married and living away with his wife, so it’s just her and her husband and they need to earn their bread. It is difficult for them. She told me ‘if my son doesn’t take care of me, I have to do this work as there is no other savings or pension to take care of me.’ Her wrist is twisted, and it initially hurt her a lot, but it’s less now and although not comfortable she can work. Her husband is doing the threading, which is the part which is most painful for her. She will have gone to a government hospital as there is no medical help from the contractor or any insurance provided for workers like her. They own the house, so they don’t have to worry about rent – only living costs.”
Transform Trade works with our partners Homeworkers Worldwide, HomeNet South Asia Trust, SEWA Bharat in Delhi NCR, SAVE in Tiruppur India, Sabah Nepal in Kathmandu valley, and Homenet Pakistan in Pakistan.