Are Women Workers dispensable in Garment

Industry?
By J.N.Vohra, B.Tech (Text.), M.Tech, F.I.E., C.Eng (I), LMIMA

The report on the Task Force on MSMEs set up by Union Government of India noted
that India has the advantage of a large pool of human resources, however, the industry
continues to face deficit in manpower possessing the right skills for manufacturing,
service, marketing, etc. Although SME sector employs substantial manpower, the
retention of workmen continues to be the issue.

The textiles and clothing (T & C) industry is labour intensive. The T & C sector
contributes 4% towards National GDP and 12% of export earnings. This sector
employs 35 million workmen. Over the years, developed countries have been shifting
their garment production bases and outsourcing centres to developing countries, many
of them have put up their camps in India also.

Significantly, Union Development Budget 2010-11 of India declared to launch an

extensive skill development programme in the textile and garment sector by
leveraging the strength of existing institutions under Textile Ministry to train 30 Lakh
persons over 5 years under the programme. The proposed Skills Development
Programme for textiles and garments sector would provide long-term benefit to the
textile industry, which has been facing shortage of skilled labour since the last few
years.

Productivity and Quality

The quality standards of developed world are stringent and in view of globalisation of
the markets they require the products at competitive prices and at fixed delivery
schedules. In order to meet these requirements, not only the management of the
factories, but also the shop floor level work force required to be skilled to meet
international business practices. International Buyers will come to those who will be
able to give advantage of lower wages, higher Labour productivity and quicker
response to their demand.

A study on the productivity of the garment sector shows that there is considerable
scope for improvement, particularly, in aspect of labour productivity. It has been
found that, workers working on conventional equipments require upgrading their
skills to cope up with the technological changes taking place in the garment industry.
Due to lack of proper training and development of skills, many garment
manufacturers have restricted their outputs on low value added products.

Bias towards women workers

The advanced machines require more skilled and knowledge operators; besides other
things this may be the reason why there may be a prejudice toward employing men
rather than women in the garment industry in India. In other garment producing
countries in Asia, large numbers of women are employed. For example in Bangladesh
women count for 90%, similarly in Cambodia 85%, Sri Lanka 80% and in China
70%. The average of women working in Indian garment industry is less than 40%.

Ludhiana (Punjab) garment

industry is male dominated and
more than 40% of the labour
force is migratory. Lately due to
National Rural employment
Guarantee Act (NREGA),
industry suffered shortage of
workforce during peak season.

Majority of workers in the

garment factories, especially in Bangalore comprising of 93 per cent, come from the
rural areas. Despite the fact that a large number of female employees work in the
garment sector, men still have the upper hand. As a result, it becomes very difficult
for women to express their needs. It is unfortunate that in many factories female
labour are still underpaid compared to male labours for similar jobs.

Employers generally assume women to be less productive than men and hence offer
lower wages to women under time rates. Whereas, it has been seen that under piece
rate work, where wages earned match productivity, women workers receive wages
equivalent to their counterpart male workers for the same work performed. It has been
found that women are at an advantage in some kinds of work, work that could be
termed “female advantageous”, such as assembly line stitching, hemming,
embroidery, labelling, packing, where if men were to be substituted, there would
probably be loss in productivity.

Empowering Women

In India, Punjabi women, known for their robust health, have the lowest share in
workforce in all industry segments with participation rate of about 8 percent, as per an
estimate. Andhra Pradesh has approximately 35 per cent, Arunachal Pradesh 38 per
cent, Himachal Pradesh 34 and Haryana had 12 per cent share.

Now some companies in

Ludhiana are encouraging
hiring of female workers,
especially young girls from
rural backgrounds. The young
women come to work in the
factories to save money for
their future, including their
dowries, and to support their
families. Women feel
empowered by their earnings
and attain confidence and self esteem as income earners. Some of these women may
be young and living away from home, the employers and the community should look
favourably the public image of women workers.

Unfortunately, women workers generally suffer from gender subordination to largely

male employers and managers in a system that considers women workers as
dispensable labour. Similarly, for upward mobility in the labour hierarchy of factories,
female workers generally stand few opportunities.

It is essential that special consideration in various aspects need to be taken where

most of the garment sector workforce is female. Some of these aspects are regulation
of work hours, overtimes extending to late hours in the night, health and safety,
provision for maternity leaves, female doctors at work places and handling issues of
sexual harassment.