Women’s Empowerment in the Era of Social Distancing
Women’s Empowerment in the Era of Social Distancing Approximately 190 million women are employed in global supply chains, yet many are in precarious positions. Low literacy and tech literacy levels, among other factors, relegate women to lower paying jobs with minimal rights protections, making them particularly vulnerable . Since 2007, BSR collaborative initiative HERproject has sought to change this and empower women workers through workplace-based interventions on health, financial inclusion, and gender equality. Over the years, HERproject has worked in more than 620 workplaces across 14 countries. And yet in 2020—as COVID-19 and its economic impacts have exacerbated gender ineqalities —health and safety precautions prevented HERproject programs from continuing in the farms and factories where they have traditionally taken place. Against this backdrop, we developed HERessentials--a new HERproject program leveraging digital tools to reach workers, part...