In a push for greater equality within the global garment, footwear, and home textiles industries, RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality), a collaborative initiative advancing equality in global garment supply chains, is calling for a collaborative effort to scale up responsible wage digitalisation and financial training for workers, particularly women. The organisation’s ‘WhenWomenRISE’ campaign, launched on 6th March, underscores the critical need for brands, buyers, suppliers, and financial service providers to work together to build a more resilient future for the sector.
Recognising that women constitute the majority of the garment supply chain workforce, RISE highlights the challenges they face in accessing digital banking services and effectively managing their finances. This lack of financial inclusion hinders their ability to achieve long-term stability.
Christine Svarer, RISE Executive Director, emphasised that a collaborative, 360-degree approach is essential for addressing the issues at hand. She stated that by uniting global stakeholders, joint investments in digital wages can be achieved. This collaboration, she explained, would lead to efficiency gains, enhanced transparency, and market expansion opportunities. Crucially, she highlighted that such an approach provides a pathway to financial health and resilience, particularly for women workers.
The campaign, supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, showcases the tangible impact of combining wage digitalisation with financial training. Footage from a partner factory in Cambodia, where RISE Financial Health programs have been implemented since 2021, features workers and managers sharing their experiences.
Since 2012, RISE has partnered with global brands, buyers, and financial service providers, reaching over 420,000 workers across 244 workplaces worldwide, with 58% being women. The program has yielded significant results, including increased mobile money usage, higher savings rates, improved family financial decision-making, and greater confidence in handling unexpected expenses.
