“I Can Hardly Sustain My Family”

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe disruption to global supply chains. The financial, health, and social implications of production shutdowns and job losses can only be fully understood by hearing directly from the affected workers. HERproject interviewed over 1,000 workers in garment factories in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, and Vietnam, as well as flower and tea farms in Kenya, to evaluate the true cost of the pandemic for these workers.

This report presents findings on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers, in the areas of physical and mental health, finances, and gender-based violence. It provides recommendations for companies and other stakeholders to support an inclusive recovery that benefits both workers and supply chains.

Please visit the main BSR website for more information and to download the report.

“This article was published as part of BSR’s HERproject. In 2023, HERproject, Gap Inc. P.A.C.E, CARE and Better Work came together to launch RISE: Reimagining Industry to Support Equality, a collaborative initiative supporting industry to advance equality for women workers in global garment supply chains.”