Female Workers at Global Brand H&M's Contract Factories Reveal MeToo Allegations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Female employees at an H&M subcontractor in India have come forward to expose widespread sexual violence in the workplace at the Swedish global clothing company.

According to the UK Guardian on the 8th (local time), 21-year-old female worker Jeyasre Kathiravel, who worked at Notchi Apparel, an H&M subcontractor located in Tamil Nadu, India, was found dead near her home a few weeks ago.

The suspect in the murder case was a male supervisor at the factory where the deceased woman worked. The victim’s family and colleagues claimed that before her death, she had been continuously subjected to sexual assault and harassment by the supervisor but did not report it out of fear of losing her job.

Following the incident, 25 female employees of Notchi Apparel revealed through the Tamil Nadu Textile and Clothing Union (TTCU) that they had been victims of sexual violence, harassment, and verbal abuse by male managers at Notchi Apparel. They also alleged that except for a 15-minute lunch break, which was justified in the name of productivity, they were extremely restricted from drinking water or going to the restroom.

An anonymous Notchi Apparel employee told the Guardian in an interview, "Sexual assaults mainly occur during night shifts, and even married women are not safe from them," adding, "They also use verbal abuse to increase factory productivity."

She further said, "But we are responsible for our families’ livelihoods, and some even support relatives, so we are afraid to report these incidents for fear of losing our jobs."

The manufacturer has completely denied these allegations. In an official statement, the company said, "We have systems in place to report complaints or harassment within the factory. In accordance with Indian law, we operate committees and unions to handle sexual harassment complaints within the factory," and "Factory management and supervisors treat all workers fairly," they rebutted.

Human rights organizations have collectively pointed out that millions of female workers in the global fashion supply chain are at risk of potential sexual violence.

Previously, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), a non-profit organization formed by companies, civic groups, and labor unions to improve workers’ conditions and protect human rights, conducted a survey in 2018 of over 550 factory workers at global brands operating subcontracted factories worldwide, including H&M and GAP. The report revealed that violence and sexual harassment against female workers were widespread, and there were concerns about retaliation for rejecting supervisors’ sexual advances.

Meanwhile, H&M stated, "All forms of abuse and harassment in the workplace contradict our values," and added, "We will actively support thorough investigations to be conducted."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.