Child Rights Risk Assessment Of The Textile And Apparel Sector Supply Chain In Sri Lanka

In the last 20 years, the Sri Lankan textile and apparel industry has established itself as the single largest export revenue generator in the country. With nearly 5.3 billion USD export revenue in 2019, as well as employing 400,000 direct workers and 2 million indirect workers, it is easy to understand that it is one of the biggest job providers, as well as one of the core pillars, that supports Sri Lanka’s economy.

Owing to the sheer scale and international demand that is expected of this industry, factories often have to outsource certain parts of the manufacturing process to small unregistered factories or individuals, in order to cope. These subcontracted companies often offer informal contracts that exploit, underpay and discriminate against workers. Often the common victims of these small factories are women, young workers, ‘Manpower’ workers, and more worryingly, children, whose fulfillment of basic needs are challenged by the poor working conditions of their parents.