With 27 factories, Tirupur-based leading knitted apparel exporter Eastman Exports Global Clothing Pvt Ltd. (EEGCPL) employs a workforce of nearly 20,000 people, out of which almost 60-65% are women. Of these, around 40% are migrant workers and 60% are localites. Women currently make up 64% of supervisory roles and 30% of management positions, highlighting the organisation’s steady progress in advancing women into leadership.
“We have a dedicated Women Empowerment (WE) team and a comprehensive portfolio of structured training programmes focusing on gender sensitisation, gender neutrality, personality enhancement, and essential life skills. These initiatives are shaping a more confident, capable, and inclusive workforce across our operations. Our efforts also include Gap Inc.’s RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality) programme, through which we have trained our employees across factory divisions. In collaboration with UN Women–UPFRONT and in partnership with Swasti under the DHAGA initiative, we have rolled out focused interventions on women’s health, safety, and mental wellbeing, and have trained hundreds of employees, while also developing ‘Well-being Champions’ and ‘Change Agents’ within the workforce. They also focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, including menstrual hygiene, family planning, and maternal health,” says Alagesan Senniappan, Sr. VP ESG, Quality Assurance.
Workers also use WOVO, a mobile-based application designed to allow them to report issues anytime without the need for intermediaries. Recognising the needs of its migrant workforce, the company delivers initiatives in Hindi, Odia, and Bengali. It has helped build confidence, encouraged timely reporting, and ensured faster resolution of workplace issues.
An additional REACH CEO toll-free number has also been established, enabling workers to escalate concerns directly to the highest level of management. Going forward, the export house is further strengthening its grievance redressal ecosystem by introducing a third-party toll-free hotline managed by Ethigoo. These initiatives cover issues such as time and stress management, gender and communication, problemsolving, labour rights, and worker – management relationships.
All this has resulted positively, as women who once hesitated to voice their opinions now actively participate in discussions. Workers who struggled with financial uncertainty have gained the tools to make informed decisions.
“We provide hostel and transport facilities for the Women workers. Additionally, with a strong focus on preventive healthcare, mammogram and Pap smear screening initiatives, health awareness talks, and annual health camps are integrated into a sustained annual health programme for women employees across our factories. Our motto is to ensure opportunities to grow, lead, and thrive for our entire women workforce,” concludes Moideen K E I, Chief Human Resource Officer.
