How A Dalit Women Led Trade Union Made History

In January 2021, when Jayasre Kathiravel, a 20-year old employee of a garment factory in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district was sexually assaulted and murdered by the supervisor of the factory, it raised the issue of gender-based violence on women garment workers on a global scale. A Dalit women led  trade union pushed for a legally-binding agreement to end gender-based violence at the manufacturer’s shop floor. Known as the Dindigul Agreement signed in 2022, the agreement is historic for holding multi-billion dollar brands like H&M accountable against gender-based violence within its factories. In the one year since the agreement came into force, much has changed in Dindigul’s Natchi Apparels. In #BehanBoxSimplifies, we break down  the agreement, its key features, and its impact in visuals.
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