Nachrichten - Wer passt auf? Wer passt auf? Mütter und Kinder in Fabriken

Summary of the needs analysis on childcare facilities in the clothing industry in Bangalore

Bangalore's textile industry comprises nearly 1,200 production sites. In about 96% of these factories there are no functional cribs. According to a 2011/12 study by the ‘State Commission for the Protection of Children’s Rights in Karnataka’, 12 out of 118 factories reported having no functioning crèches. In the factories with cribs, there was only one crib for every 1,000 employees. According to the law, all factories with more than 30 permanent women must offer a crib for children under the age of six on the factory premises. In fact, although companies designate a space as childcare, no child- and care-friendly environment is created. That's why mothers don't bring their children to the factory. There is a lack of well-trained educators and toys. The children spend their days sitting around inactive or sleeping.

In turn, workers can hardly afford private childcare. 81% of all female workers surveyed for this report earn between 5,000 and 7,000 rupees (approximately €71-99) per month. Their family income rarely exceeds 10,000 to 15,000 rupees (about 142-212€). In Bangalore, however, a family of three needs around 13,581 rupees (approximately 192€) to survive. Consequently, many parents are forced to leave their young children in the home village with their grandparents or they entrust them to the care of their older siblings, which is dangerous.

For this report, 60 women from four textile factories were interviewed. The factories produce for C&A and H&M, with 41% of respondents saying they quit their jobs during pregnancy. A large majority had been absent from work for more than three months, for which the legislature provides for paid maternity leave. While 66% of women reported taking a break of more than a year, 23% of respondents reported a period of nine to twelve months. One major reason for this is the culturally conditioned expectation that women breastfeed their children for at least a year. A well-qualified, functioning care system, which provides the conditions for breastfeeding the children, would allow women to return after three months of maternity leave. Better care with qualified staff would also help women bring their children to the crib. They would no longer be forced to give up benefits such as health insurance and gratuity. 95% of workers said they would like to continue working for the factory with better childcare. High turnover among employees is one of the main management problems. Good childcare can reduce this.

Category: Wer passt auf? Mütter und Kinder in Fabriken