ILO Brief Details Gender Barriers and Pay Gaps for Women in Global Supply Chains
SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Institutions: Ministry of Labour & Employment | Ministry of Women and Child Development
An ILO Brief published in October 2025, titled “Gender Equality in Supply Chains,” analyzes persistent barriers preventing women from achieving equal outcomes despite their major role in global production. Women constitute around 40 per cent of the global supply chain workforce, rising to 80 per cent in sectors like garments. The core challenge is deep-rooted occupational gender segregation, which typically confines women to lower-level, lower-paid positions and sectors. Key issues include significant pay gaps (persistently around 20 per cent globally) , the disproportionate burden of unpaid care responsibilities , and frequent exposure to gender-based violence and harassment. The ILO supports comprehensive strategies, including promoting equal pay for work of equal value, encouraging the redistribution of care work, and dismantling harmful stereotypes. Evidence shows that fostering equality leads to mutual benefits, including 22 per cent increase in productivity and stronger employee retention for businesses.
This report directly informs India’s mission to strengthen its manufacturing sector under ‘Make in India’ and Skill India. It demands that labor policies focus on formalizing work, enforcing the principles of equal pay for work of equal value (ILO C100), and systematically addressing violence and harassment (ILO C190) to ensure women’s stable, equitable participation and reduce attrition in export-oriented factories.
What is Occupational Gender Segregation? This is the tendency for men and women to be concentrated in different jobs based on perceived capabilities, often confining women to lower-skill, non-managerial roles. It matters as it perpetuates gender pay gaps and limits women’s career advancement, despite their high employment rates in critical sectors.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministries of Labour and Women and Child Development successfully mandate private sector reporting on vertical and horizontal gender segregation to enforce equal opportunity in supply chains?
Follow the full news here: Gender Equality in Supply Chains: How ILO interventions foster gender equality in outcomes in supply chains