Nandita Shivakumar is a Business and Human Rights Consultant and advisor to the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU). She has written extensively on the garment industry and works with multiple garment workers’ unions in developing their campaigns and communication strategies.
Long distances to medical facilities, shortage of women doctors and frustrating bureaucratic hurdles discourage women workers in the garment sector from accessing the Employees' State Insurance Scheme
Gender based violence, caste discrimination and forced labour practices are rife in Indian garment factories. In Tamil Nadu, Theivanai Maruthai, a young Dalit woman trade union leader is trying to change this
The delivery deadlines of fashion brands and suppliers make no allowance for women who are forced to work in peak summer with poor access to water, sanitation and healthcare