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Article

25 May 2018

Author:
Reuters, The Straits Times

Women workers exposed to sexual abuse, violence in Walmart supplier factories in Asia

"Daily violence, sex abuse in Walmart's Asian suppliers: Rights groups", 25 May 2018

Women who work in Asian factories making clothes for the global retail giant Walmart are at "daily risk" of slapping, sexual abuse and other harassment, rights groups said....

Based on interviews with about 250 workers in 60 Walmart supplier factories in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia, a coalition of charities said women were "systematically exposed to violence" and faced retaliation if they reported the attacks.

US-based Walmart...said it was reviewing the findings of the report.

"The accounts by workers is concerning, and we take allegations like this seriously," a Walmart spokesman said.

"We have a robust supply chain monitoring programme. Walmart's Standards for Suppliers lists our social and environmental expectations for our suppliers, specifically addressing the cultivation of a safe and healthy work environment," she added.

..."The difficulty is women don't feel comfortable to report. How can they seek intervention from the unions when the union leaders are mostly men?" said Khun Tharo from the...Centre for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights.

"There is no legal mechanism for them to file complaints."