© CIVIDEP

Childcare in India and Bangladesh: studies, childcare places, training and dialogue

Together with our partner organizations Cividep and BCWS, we are committed to ease the burden of  mothers by improving childcare and giving children a chance to break the vicious circle of poverty and exploitation.

In Bangladesh, we have been supporting the day-care centre run by our partner organization BCWS with donations to enable union-minded mothers to receive good care during and after working hours since 2019.

In India, Cividep investigated selected supplier factories of international fashion companies in 2015 and 2017. The studies on the care situation of infants and the working conditions of mothers are available here. Based on the results of the research, we recommended that buying fashion companies insist that their suppliers comply with applicable laws and measures to ensure that the needs of mothers and children are taken care of. Together with Cividep, we are also working towards a systematic improvement of the care situation in Indian clothing factories.
We want to achieve the following:

  • Childcare and nutrition

In existing childcare facilities, standards are being raised by, for example, equipping crèches with reading and play materials, ensuring that children are provided with small meals and improved toilet facilities.

  • Further training for kindergarten teachers and nurses

In many crèches, there is not only a lack of furniture, toys and food, but above all a lack of qualified personnel to look after the children. There is need of training to fill these gaps.

  • Trainings for trade unionists

Training courses qualify trade unionists to conduct targeted campaigns in factories for better childcare and to take legal action in the event of non-compliance with laws.

  • Training for factory managers

Factory managers were trained on childcare and laws in this area to enable them to create better childcare places in their factory.

  • Multi-Stakeholder consultations

Our project initiated several dialogues: purchasing brand companies, suppliers and civil society actors got together several times to discuss how the various actors can contribute to improving the childcare situation.