Vigil for Justice for Murdered India Dalit Woman Garment Worker
Author: Administrator
Date: May 20, 2021
April 1, 2021 marked the three-month anniversary of the horrific murder of 20-year-old Jeyasre Kathiravel, an Indian Dalit woman who was a garment worker and union member organizing against gender-based violence and harassment at a major Indian garment manufacturer which has business with many prominent U.S. and European fashion brands. As reported in the Guardian, Jeyasre faced months of sexual harassment by her supervisor before he murdered her exactly three months ago. Since her death, 25 other women garment workers at the same factory have come forward and publicly described a culture of gender-based violence and harassment at the particular unit where Jeyasre worked — Natchi Apparels.
At the Global 16 Days Campaign, we firmly believe in the right of every worker to a world of work free from violence and harassment. It is a basic human right that has been reaffirmed by the 2019 ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, No. 190. We also believe in the power of solidarity which is why on this anniversary of her death, we have decided to join Jeyasre’s family, the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU) of which she was a member, The Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), Global Labor Justice–International Labor Justice (GLJ-ILRF), National Organization for Women (NOW), Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) of the AFL-CIO, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), The International Dalit Solidarity Network and other allies to call on you to join the global vigil to honor the life of Jeyasre and to show solidarity with her fellow garment workers who continue to organize for an end to gender-based violence and harassment in global garment supply chains.
On the eve of this announcement, we are heartened by an important step forward. Jeyasre’s family reports that a mutually agreeable resolution on compensation has been reached. They thank all who contributed to the process that reached this resolution. As they continue to mourn, this compensation will provide much needed relief for the family going forward.
In the meantime, we remain committed to joining GLJ-ILRF and other allies in an ongoing dialogue with major brands, the supplier, and the TTCU towards an enforceable agreement [in the form of an Enforceable Brand Agreement — EBA] with Brands, Eastman Exports, and TTCU that includes monitoring, remediation, and prevention of gender-based violence and barriers to freedom of association. We look forward to your participation in the Global Vigil!
In solidarity,
The Global 16 Days Campaign Team
International Labor Rights Forum
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