The Cotton On Group is supporting CARE’s goal of economically empowering 8 million women in the garment industry in Asia.

90 per cent of the 4 million workers in the Bangladeshi garment industry are women.

Together, CARE and the Cotton On Group aim to encourage more women to move into factory leadership roles and have an equal say in the decisions that affect them – at work, at home and in their communities.

The Empowering Women Workers in Bangladesh project aims to increase the number of women garment workers in leadership roles in the participating factories, in addition to tackling the barriers that women face to achieve equality in the workplace, and supporting women to take control of their own lives. It works with management to ensure female workers have a voice in workplace committees and are supported to progress into leadership roles.

The partnership between CARE and the Cotton On Group builds on CARE’s proven approach within the garment industry, and will contribute to CARE’s global goal to improve the working lives of 8 million women in Asia by 2021.

Creating a shared value partnership

This partnership brings CARE’s decades of experience in women’s empowerment in Asia to the Cotton On Group’s suppliers, demonstrating a shared commitment to gender equality through awareness and education initiatives.  By pooling our expertise, reach and influence, CARE and the Group can work together to improve the lives and rights of women in supply chains.

The Cotton On Group is Australia’s largest global retailer, with seven brands operating 1,500 stores in 18 countries, and employing 22,000 team members worldwide.

Together, the Cotton On Group and CARE are providing bespoke training modules to 2,200 garment factory workers, predominately women, across three of the Group’s supplier factories in Bangladesh.

Photo credits: Abir Abdullah/CARE.