McCormick+Schmitz Handbook for value chain research on - PACA

assembly work to full production and marketing. Having her own label will not guarantee
her success, but it will open the way to the higher profit margins that are a necessary
ingredient to successful production of high <strong>value</strong> garments.
There are many Marias and Agneses across the world. We know a fair amount about
them, even though the statistics needed <strong>for</strong> an exact picture are lacking. Their stories
highlight a number of the issues surrounding home working. The first is the level and
variability of remuneration. Both Maria and Agnes depend on contracts from
intermediaries. Both women can have a great deal of work at one time and none at
another. Maria is especially vulnerable because her piece rates are very low, making it
difficult to save <strong>for</strong> the times when there is no work. Furthermore, if a machine breaks
down, not only do Maria and Agnes lose precious time from work, but they also have to
bear the cost of repairs. Paying their own electricity further reduces their net income.
Maria’s situation also reveals the poor working conditions of many homeworkers. The
cramped conditions of her house, like most in poor areas, mean that she cannot work
efficiently. Although she appreciates being able to keep an eye on her two pre-school
children, she knows that her work sometimes suffers as she tries to combine child care
with work. Some days she suffers from the isolation of working alone in the house all
day. At other times, she finds it difficult to meet her production targets because the home
is filled with other family members who expect her to cook and attend to their needs.
Agnes works under somewhat better conditions. Her children are older and out of the
house most of the time. Now that she has her own workroom, she can really concentrate
on her work. Nevertheless, both women share the stress of widely fluctuating workloads.
When work is heavy, they sometimes work late into the night six or seven days a week.
Home working often gives rise to child labour because the adult worker finds it difficult
to meet production targets without help. By staying out of school, Maria’s daughter risks
falling behind and eventually dropping out.
Women like Maria have little or no bargaining power with their employers. Their lack of
power comes first from the fact that many deal through intermediaries and have little or
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Agnes’s story comes mainly from personal conversations with an individual homeworker. Some
particulars have been changed to protect her identity.
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