From fields to factories: Women leading safer supply chains

India’s supply chains are powered by women – from the tea gardens of Assam and West Bengal to the textile clusters of Tamil Nadu and Delhi, to the spice fields of Kerala and Rajasthan with women making up 58 per cent of its 1.2 million workers. Despite this critical contribution, women’s right to safe, healthy and respectful workplaces has often been overlooked.

Drawing on lessons from the UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces global flagship programme, a UN Women India initiative has applied the same principles of urban safety audits, community participation and institutional accountability to India’s supply chains. The model is now being adapted to tea estates, textile and cotton hubs, and spice fields. This shift recognizes that a safe supply chain is not only about preventing harassment but also about enabling dignity, health, wellness and opportunities for women workers to thrive in these spaces.

This is part of an ongoing partnership under an Indo-German development cooperation project “Sustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains”, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by UN Women.

It features training for women workers on nutrition, hygiene, reproductive health and choice, mental health, well-being, addressing occupational health hazards and safety at work and home. Training sessions conducted as part of the project covered nutrition, hygiene, reproductive health and choice, mental health and well-being. They also addressed occupational health hazards and safety at work and home, providing women with practical tools for everyday life.

A National Consultation on Building Gender-Responsive and Safe Supply Chains convened in New Delhi in August 2025 brought together a diverse set of 80 beneficiaries and stakeholders to discuss ways to build safe supply chains. The consultation created a collaborative space where women workers, grass-roots leaders, policymakers and industry representatives came together to reimagine what more inclusive supply chains could look like.

From voices to action

Women workers and farmers spoke about the priorities that shape their everyday lives, including safer transportation, better access to health care and stronger social protection.

“The trainings conducted by UN Women made us brave, and we could make progress in our lives,” Assam tea garden worker Anastacia Toppo said at the consultation. “Women’s safety has improved a lot. Women are coming forward to claim their safety and rights. We can also see improvement in education, cleanliness and hygiene.”

One participant described how she now encourages her family to eat more vegetables and applies simple practices to keep her home cleaner and safer.

“From fields to factories, women are the strength of India’s supply chains,” said Kanta Singh, UN Women India Country Representative a.i. “When their health and safety are protected, women not only contribute as workers but thrive as leaders, innovators and decision-makers.”

Civil society organizations and grass-roots collectives presented innovative, community-based approaches to strengthen awareness of rights and build solidarity among workers. And policymakers and industry leaders responded with tangible commitments.

“Workers’ health, safety and wellness are the key pillars for driving the industry forward. A happy and content workforce directly translates into higher productivity and long-term sustainability for the sector as a whole,” said Pichino Chaudhry, Manager of Sustainability and Certification, Amalgamated Plantations Pvt. Ltd.

Since 2022, UN Women has engaged more than 30,000 women workers, small-scale farmers, men and boys, and local stakeholders across tea and spice sectors, in three states – building grass-roots leadership and champions for change. This year alone, UN Women is reaching another 30,000 women workers and men and boys and 50,000 community members across six states in India.

The consultation marked a step forward in ensuring women are not just part of India’s supply chains but are at the heart of transforming them. When women thrive at work, families, businesses and entire communities thrive with them.