Gender Equality in Global Chains

Women are often the majority of workers in labour intensive export production in low-income countries. They are concentrated in low-paid, low-skilled, casual work, and are often vulnerable to poor labour conditions and exploitation.

At the same time, some leading companies are seeking to improve gender equality across their supply chains They are doing this for two reasons: firstly, they recognise their UN Guiding Principles responsibilities to respect human rights, prevent and remedy harm caused to women workers; and secondly, because with greater gender diversity are more likely to experience commercial success than their competitors.