RAGS (Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector): Implementing Social Standards in the Indian Ready Made Garment Sector

For more photos, view the RAGS Project photo albums on SAI's Facebook page:
- RAGS Project 2012
- RAGS Project 2013

Project Partners

Gap Inc., Timberland, PGC Switcher, ETI-UK

Project Location

India (Bangalore, New Delhi, Tirupur)

Project Description

“RAGS: Improving Social Standards in the Indian Ready-Made Garment Sector” is a program of SAI to improve working conditions of workers by reducing gender discrimination and improving factory level processes of engagement with homeworkers in supply chain. The program is supported by UKAID from the Department for International Development (DFID). Activities will focus on classroom and onsite trainings of suppliers and subcontractors on gender discrimination issues and engagement with homeworkers.

The project includes the participation from global retailers such as Gap Inc., Timberland and PGC-Switcher— who will assist SAI to select and engage with group of suppliers based in India. RAGS also works in collaboration in SAI's PPP with BSCI and GIZ, “Scaling Up Indian Responsible Business Initiatives.”

Background

Garment export has fueled economic growth in many emerging economies, creating over 25 million jobs worldwide. However, working conditions in this industry remain a challenge, with chronic problems including gender discrimination, excessive working hours, and safety violations.

SAI is addressing these issues in RAGS—an innovative two-year Public Private Partnership [PPP] for India-based garment factories that supply to the UK market. This project aims to both improve factory level engagement with homeworkers, and to reduce workplace gender discrimination.

SAI, leveraging the collaboration with ETI-UK, partnerships with companies, and the investments of the GIZ-funded PPP, will reach out to factories that are engaging with homeworkers. Participating companies will support project implementation, send sourcing staff to trainings, and will promote the methodology as a best practice to their peers.

Training & Technical Assistance Planned for Suppliers

Events

Overall Program Activities & Goals

1. Develop Training Tools & Materials 100 Indian factories will receive trainings and tools to help them responsibly manage homeworkers in supply chain and discrimination issues by developing management systems designed to assure decent work
2.   Build Local Capacity Through a systematic ‘training-of-trainers’ strategy, SAI will train 30 field experts in the topics of gender discrimination and engagement of homeworkers in supply chain
3.   Increase Awareness 30 committed factories will undergo onsite trainings to increase worker-manager communication and building a cross-functional team approach
4.   Strengthen Local Audit Capacity Develop a guidance document for responsible and effective social auditing, specifically focused on the topic of managing homeworkers in the supply chain and gender discrimination issues. The guidance will be developed and disseminated to participating factories and in sites where SA8000 is used.

Expected Outcomes

  • Increased awareness for factory management and homeworkers on how to claim their rights at work
  • Factory managers and supervisors trained on how to fight gender discrimination
  • Onsite factory level trainings to develop management systems by improving worker-manager communication and help build a cross functional team

Resources

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