THE KENYAN TEXTILE AND FASHION INDUSTRY

women predominantly line workers and men more
likely to work as managers, cutters, or in finishing.
Bangladesh has a substantial wage disparity, with
women on average making 70 cents for every
dollar a man in the garment industry makes. 35
There are three primary levers for ensuring that
the growth in the garment industry redounds to
the benefit of the young, female workers who
make up the bulk of its labour force: government
regulation, independent unions, and private sector
or brand-driven compliance efforts (see box below
for specific examples of the first and third).
Similarly, the youth of garment workers offers both
an opportunity and a risk in the social sustainability
of the industry. In the most recent Kenyan census,
there were 8 million Kenyans aged 15-24, with an
unemployment rate around 14%. In urban areas,
they fared even worse—over 20% of urban youths
were unemployed. Furthermore, over 80% of the
employed were considered “vulnerable workers,”
further exacerbating the economic exposure of
the young population entering the workforce for
the first time. 36 The apparel industry can offer
young workers the same opportunities that it does
to women, but with similar pitfalls, and potential
abuses of underpaid child labour.
Labour laws, especially around occupational safety,
wages, labour rights education, and safe and secure
transportation, can reduce the chance of the sorts
of worker safety incidents and exploitation that
undermine the potential for female empowerment
that the garment industry offers. But, even beyond
the development side, McKinsey & Co., the
global management consulting firms, strongly
encourages countries that are serious about
attracting global investment “to make every effort
to ensure social and environment compliance.”
37
Credible government regulation can alleviate
reputation risk for companies producing in Kenya.
Note that brands need to be particularly cautious
about young workers, to ensure they do not
run afoul of child labour laws and international
treaties. Factories need strong compliance
systems that ensure that, per Kenyan law, work
does not interfere with education nor harm their
development. Some factories that are strongest
on compliance may actually be over-wary of
hiring younger workers because of the risks that
go along with it, and Hivos or another entity could
help facilitate youth empowerment through
employment by offering a capacity-building
program that would assist factories in developing
robust age-related compliance systems.
Additionally, independent labour unions can
provide a check against factories tempted to turn
to abusive practices in order to improve their
profit margins. Trade unions play an important
monitoring role, and countries or factories that
hesitate to allow them may be those that have
something to hide.
Finally, the private sector may decide that it is in
their own self-interest to perform to a high level
of social compliance. There are several global
certification standards, for example WRAP or
SA8000, that global brands require of their factory
partners, which aim to eliminate the worst labour
abuses. And some companies elect to go even
further, investing in the empowerment of their
workforce to reap the long-term payoff of a
motivated, loyal, and highly skilled workforce.
35
Supra note 33, World Bank.
36
Kenya Population and
Housing Census, 2009
37
Supra note 5.
The Kenyan Textile And Fashion Industry Report
45