We exist to support Homeworkers in their struggle for Rights, Recognition and Respect.
Women homeworkers have some of the worst pay and conditions within the global workforce. They are often (usually?) employed informally, with few legal protections, in sub-contract tiers of the supply chain, unseen by social auditors hired by the brands whose products they make.
In reality, women homeworkers have some of the worst pay and exploitative working conditions within the global workforce.
Working with local organisations, wider networks and trade unions around the world, our aim is to strengthen the voice of homeworkers and build alliances - particularly with other precarious women workers - to build solidarity and support their organisations.
Homeworkers Worldwide brings together individuals and organisations campaigning for the rights of homeworkers to be respected. Working with local organisations, trade unions, and wider networks we aim to strengthen the voice of homeworkers and build alliances to secure equal rights and decent conditions for homeworkers in global supply chains.
We work in collaboration with progressive companies, offering advice and resources to help them ensure any homeworkers making their products have decent conditions, consulting homeworkers over solutions when shortfalls are found. We have developed a simple toolkit to help companies do this, which improves transparency around the employment of homeworkers and gives them a means of raising grievances when things go wrong.
We want recognition for all workers.
Including Homeworkers.
No exceptions.
Homeworkers are an important part of the world’s workforce, making a key contribution to global supply chains.
Homeworking is much more prevalent than most companies think and it enables many women to earn a living alongside their domestic work.
However we live in a world where suppliers deny their existence, brands ban their use, auditors overlook them and governments don’t recognise them as real workers.
Out of sight. Out of mind.
But they do work. They do exist. They do have rights.
We need to break this never-ending cycle of denial and concealment.
How We Do It:
we support grass roots organising of homeworkers and other precarious women workers, so they can play a central role in bringing about change
we engage with brands and suppliers to work together to improve conditions within particular supply chains
we carry out research and policy work, to understand the challenges homeworkers face in particular sectors or regions, and identify possible solutions
we campaign and do advocacy work, to hold governments and powerful corporates to account and scale up change.
We will never stop advocating for homeworkers rights.
It’s why we exist.