Since 2017, the international fashion retailer Primark, has delivered its My Life Programme in a number of garment factories it sources from in southern India. My Life is an eight-part play-based programme of training delivered to garment workers identified as vulnerable – including women, (primarily internal) migrant workers, and those living in factory hostels. The programme focuses on increasing awareness of rights and responsibilities, discussing issues of health and hygiene, and strengthening communication and decision-making skills. Each session is 45-minutes long and takes place once a week during working hours on the factory site.

In line with GRDD Step 3, My Life was designed to respond to the increased risk that Primark knows women workers, and migrant women in particular face, around knowing their rights and articulating them in the workplace. Many of the women the programme targets are joining the workplace for the first time. This increases their vulnerability, as they’re often unaware of their rights or responsibilities, and can lack confidence to speak up and voice their concerns in the workplace.

These are risks that Primark is directly linked to through its supply chain, but has not necessarily caused or contributed to. Primark identified these risks (GRDD Step 2) through a mix of:

• Organisational knowledge, particularly from the Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability team that Primark operates on the ground in its major sourcing countries
• Data, learning and observations from its regional social audit programme
• Existing third-party research
• Using the networks and partnerships Primark has to collect intelligence and insights on the local context for women (e.g.: Women’s Rights Organisations)
• Data from participatory exercises with women in the supply chain to identify key issues they face in the workplace

Using these insights, Primark worked with partners Women Win, the Naz Foundation and Swasti to design a proactive programme to tackle some of the risks facing workers in the supply chain. Primark has combined its leverage with resources to support women in their supply chain; finance to fund the programme comes from Primark’s ethical trade budget.

• Since launching, My Life has reached nearly 2,000 vulnerable workers (70% women) across 10 factories. They report the curriculum to be useful and important.
• Data shows that participating workers: feel more confident asking for clarification regarding work-related tasks; have increased awareness of their rights and responsibilities, and courage to discuss them with their supervisors; and have an increased sense of empowerment and ownership over their bodies and overall well-being, due to improved knowledge of hygiene and staying healthy, especially while menstruating.
• The factories are also seeing broader change, with participants appearing to be more loyal and productive, with reduced absences.
• Using a play-based methodology offers a comfortable and safe space for participants to learn and explore new and often challenging topics together.
• The pilot approach involved Naz Foundation delivering the curriculum. This is transitioning to a more factory-led model which will see My Life identify factory staff that can be trained to become certified My Life trainers – able to deliver the curriculum independently. This will support My Life to become scalable and sustainable.
• Factory management is generally supportive of the programme and wishes to keep offering workers new knowledge and ways of improving their well-being.
• Members of Primark’s senior leadership team have visited some My Life sessions – the participating women were responsible for interacting with the visitors, and explaining the value they receive from the programme. The confidence demonstrated by the women was notable.

Written by Joanna Howarth