Foreword

Jeeva M, General Secretary, TTCU

Anannya Bhattacharjee, International Coordinator, AFWA

Jennifer (JJ) Rosenbaum, Executive Director, GLJ-ILRF

It is with great pride that we mark the successful completion of one year of implementation of the Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-based Violence and Harassment (GBVH) – a milestone for the Asian garment labor movement. The remarkable progress that has been made in the space of one year is truly impressive and stands as a shining example of what can be accomplished when initiatives center true empowerment of women workers and strategically counteract power imbalances in the factory.

Several important impacts are expanded on in this report and readers are encouraged to read these pages attentively to extract the intended lessons. However, there is a larger story being told that is not written in these pages. This is a story exemplary of how a collective of women workers united and steadfast in their shared purpose, with courage to challenge the status quo, and unwavering determination can rewrite history. Indeed, it was one local independent majority-Dalit trade union led by women, in a rural district in Southern India, who along with sister allies in India and across the globe, managed to hold some of the biggest global fashion brands accountable for gender and caste-based violence. In doing so, they have managed to radically alter their work environment, with the potential to catalyze a shift in the industry as we expand the Agreement to other parts of Tamil Nadu and beyond. This report also comes after more than two years since we lost 21-year-old Jeyasre Kathiravel to a heinous act of violence at the hands of her supervisor. If not for the culture of fear, routine repression, and impunity of perpetrators in an industry fraught with systemic violence, the loss of our sister could have been prevented. It is with this solemn truth in mind that we reflect not only on the struggles, but also on the triumphs that have brought us to this point in our collective history.

Let us not wait for another tragedy to strike a sister. We are now keenly aware of the immense good that emerges when intention and unwavering commitment converge. For the women who fought and won the Dindigul Agreement, it was the greatest fight. Let it be a catalyst, propelling us toward even greater heights in India and across Asia.