Project Description
Since its launch in 2007, Better Work has made demonstrable improvements in job quality in over 1,400 factories in eight countries, reaching over 3 million workers, 80% of whom are women, and favoring safe and healthy working conditions which yield higher productivity, profitability and lower staff turnover.
Component 1: Influencing global brands and manufacturers to adopt business practices that drive transformational change and competitiveness across their supply chains.
Better Work will multiply its impact in garment value chains by supporting global businesses, including brands, vendors, agents and manufacturing groups, to adopt business practices that support decent work and build competitiveness. The program will partner with businesses and national constituents to create a shared vision for the sector. This will include:
1. Working with BW ILO to open up opportunities related to licensing BW training services towards brands staff.
2. Linking BW buyer partners and suppliers to wider IFC services including: Resource Efficiency, Gender, the Global Trade Supplier Finance (GTSF) program, medium-term and long term financing.
3. IFC will use its network to increase the number of buyer partners in the program and participate in buyer facing events and meetings.
Component 2: Influencing Business Practices of Factories through In-Factory Services.
Factory facing services, including assessment, advisory, and training, are the core services of the program. To complement these factory services, BW IFC will run pilots in productivity enhancement and environmental assessment at the factory level. This client-facing project will reach workers via pilot projects in Jordan, Haiti and Vietnam.
Component 3: Improve productivity in SME factories in Jordan.
This pilot is intended to help integrate Jordanians in the garment industry which today employs mostly migrant workers. There is a strong gender focus, with a large portion of female beneficiaries.
Component 4: Create an enabling environment
BW will work with directly with government entities in BW countries to strengthen public institutions and advance policies at the national level by providing input and guidance on sector strategies, laws, regulations, and similar.