Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz 14 July 2020 NGOs call for gender-responsive supply chain law Berlin/Bonn/Cologne. Today, Federal Ministers Gerd Müller and Hubertus Heil will present the results of the Federal Government's survey on human rights compliance along global supply chains. It is to be feared that these do not turn out well and that a large part of German companies disregard human rights. A supply chain law is therefore unavoidable. It must also be gender-equal. This is called for by an alliance of 12 development and human rights organizations in its current position paper. In global value chains, women are often disadvantaged and exposed to greater risks than men. The spectrum ranges from sexual harassment in the workplace to working conditions that do not take into account the care work of women to unequal pay. Women and girls are particularly affected by the negative effects of global economies. They experience human rights violations along supply chains in a different way than men. For example, they are far more exposed to gender-based and sexualised violence in the workplace. And women still earn significantly less than their male counterparts worldwide. In addition, there is a large inequality in the distribution of domestic and care work, which women and girls do free of charge for family and society, leading to a significant double burden for them. "The global coronavirus crisis and its effects, such as the massive job loss in the textile industry, are exacerbating the gender inequalities in the economy and making them even more visible. It is mainly women who are at the beginning of many global value chains in production and thus work in the informal and low-wage sector," explains Gisela Burckhardt, CEO of FEMNET. This sector is characterised by precarious employment, a lack of social security and inadequate labour standards. Regulations on work during pregnancy, maternity protection and breastfeeding are often systematically disregarded. Politicians, business and civil society have so far paid too little attention to the special role of women and girls in their initiatives and policy debates on how to avoid business-related human rights violations. "The well-known cornerstones of a supply chain law also fall short here. There are a large number of international treaties and guidelines that specifically call for gender equality to be taken into account," explains Gertrud Falk, speaker at FIAN Germany. ‘To achieve gender equality in all areas of life worldwide, future policies, whether at international, European or national level, should urgently address the structural disadvantage of women in global value chains. A gender-responsive supply chain law is the first step’, urges Carsta Neuenroth, Gender Officer at Brot für die Welt. “The Supply Chain Act should clarify that companies respect the rights set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Women. It should oblige companies to take a gender-specific approach to their risk and impact assessments, to work towards family-friendly working conditions, equal pay and living wages for their business partners, and to offer social security systems. Companies should commit all their business partners to zero tolerance of harassment and violence in the workplace," says Karolin Seitz, Head of the Business and Human Rights Programme at the Global Policy Forum. Position paper The Position Paper on Gender Equality in Global Supply Chains – Demands on Policy and Business was published by: ASW – Solidarity World Action Group; Bread for the world, CorA Corporate Responsibility Network, FEMNET, FIAN Germany, Global Policy Forum, Marie-Schlei-Verein, materra, Plan International Germany, TERRE DES FEMMES, TransFair, WECF Download the position paper Press contact Renate Vacker, Press Spokesperson Bread for the World, Tel: 0174 3020158, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Monika Hoegen, Press and Public Relations Global Policy Forum, Tel: 0171-8373462, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Anne Munzert, Press and Public Relations FEMNET e.V. Tel: 0175 - 84 655 60, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Gertrud Falk, Speaker FIAN Germany, Tel.: 0221 474 491 15, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
