What is the Effect of Garment Work on Women's Health and Empowerment in India? An Analysis of India's National Family Health Surveys

ICS Travel Awards The garment industry is a fast paced global industry in which multinational corporations offshore garment production to developing countries. A multitude of ill informed and poorly equipped workers work in hazardous conditions resulting in occupational illnesses. Over 90% of garment workers in the manufacturing sector are females. A majority of these females migrate to cities from rural areas and often lack social support systems and access to primary healthcare. Our research aims to characterize whether health care utilization and the prevalence and severity of barriers to accessing health care differs between female garment workers in comparison to both women in agricultural labour and women in general in India. As well to assess whether women's empowerment indicators such as decision making, access to resources, domestic violence, gender role attitudes etc. differ between these groups. And finally, to research differences and trends in maternal and child health between female garment workers in comparison to both women in agricultural labour and women in general in India over three specific time points from 1992-2006. Since developing countries produce a large majority of the world's textile and clothing exports, the actual social and economic impact that the garment industry can have in the lives of these women and their families is enormous. Therefore, the opportunity to increase their health and well-being should not be dismissed. However, the first step is to accurately describe the current state of health, health care utilization, and the empowerment of female garment workers, which is the overarching objective of our study.