Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz

Gender Equality in Supply Chain Law? Misrepresentation!

On the occasion of the International Women's Day, the Global Policy Forum, FIAN Germany, Women Engage for a Common Future, the Action Community Solidarity World, the CorA Network for Corporate Responsibility, FEMNET, the Marie-Schlei-Verein and TransFair / Fairtrade Germany point out that gender equality is not sufficiently taken into account in the present draft of a supply chain law. The compromise presented by the German government does not adequately reflect Germany's obligations to combat discrimination against women. Corrections are urgently needed in the upcoming parliamentary revision process. To this end, the organizations call on the members of the Bundestag.

The compromise could have been a milestone in the international fight for gender equality. But the federal government did not take advantage of this opportunity. Already in the position paper ‘Gender equity in global supply chains – demands on politics and businesses’ (July 2020), the eight organisations, in an alliance with four other non-governmental organisations, showed that women* in global value chains are often disadvantaged and exposed to greater and different risks than men. A supply chain law must therefore also be explicitly gender-responsive.

"A supply chain law that covers only direct suppliers is not worth its name. Only a law that commits to human rights and environmental care along the entire supply chain will be able to bring about real change for those affected and help to overcome gender inequalities. After all, it is mainly women who are at the beginning of many supply chains in production," explains Karolin Seitz, Head of Business and Human Rights Programme at the Global Policy Forum.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Women is the central and internationally recognised human rights instrument in the fight for gender equality. So far, however, no mention has been made in the draft speaker’s report,’ criticised Gertrud Falk, speaker at FIAN Germany. Similarly, Convention No. 190 of the International Labour Organization on Violence and Sexual Harassment in the World of Work is missing. In addition, the law must require a gender-specific approach in all steps of due diligence. Data disaggregated by gender, such as the gender pay gap, must be collected. Breach of maternity protection must be listed as a special risk as part of occupational health and safety. It is also essential that women-led trade unions and women's organisations are involved in the processes. Only in this way can the actual risks and effects of the measures on women be identified and avoided.

In all likelihood, the German Supply Chain Act will be supplemented by a European and international agreement in the future. These multilateral agreements must also explicitly address gender equality, encompass the entire supply chain and provide for civil liability," he said. Gabriele Köhler, Chairwoman of Women Engage for a Common Future.

For more information:

Contact:

  • Karolin Seitz, Global Policy Forum, Tel.: 0175 8662608, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Gertrud Falk, FIAN Germany, Tel.: 0221 474 491 15, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Annemarie Mohr, WECF Germany, Tel.: 01578 2 999 399, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.