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Reports of the companies in the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles on the topic of Gender-based violence

At the end of December 2021, 43 member companies of the Textile Alliance published their reports on the implementation of their due diligence obligations in the supply chain. In them, they describe the measures taken so far as well as future line to combat Gender Based Violence (GBV). Almost all companies assess the risk of GBV as high when producing in Asia, but the measures taken vary considerably.

The companies' reports indicate that it is difficult to identify gender-based violence (GBV) in their supply chains. Women did not speak out about it in audits or direct conversations due to shame or fear of stigmatization in the factory or their own families. In addition, there is a lack of supply chain transparency and gender-specific data. Yet, it is in deeper supply chains that numerous violations and breaches occur.

If one takes a first look at the goals and measures that companies set for themselves regarding the risk of GBV, a mixed picture emerges. Large companies and discounters tend to formulate general measures at the policy level. Some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already further ahead and set precise targets and measures against GBV at factory level, e.g. training to raise staff awareness. What they all have in common is that they start at the last stage of the supply chain; only a few also formulate measures for the deeper supply chain.