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Lindex is a Swedish fashion chain, with approximately 480 stores in 17 markets. Lindex business concept is to offer inspiring and affordable fashion to the fashion conscious woman. The assortment includes several different concepts within women ́s wear, kids‘wear, lingerie and cosmetics. More than half of Lindex total assortment is made of more sustainable sources and Lindex is dedicated that 80% of the company ́s supply chain capacity should be produced in sustainable factories by 2020, defined by environmental and human rights criteria. Lindex has an ambition to improve the lives of all women in the Lindex global supplychain and the communities where we operate connected to our production. We are committed to contribute to women’s empowerment and gender equality through trainingand education as well as creating enabling and inclusive workplaces.

Lindex is a Swedish fashion company with a workforce consisting of about 97% women. Our consumers are mainly women (98%) since we produce fashion for women andchildren, and 60% of the workers in the factories where we produce are women. It is important for us to focus on women. 

Lindex has conducted Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) HERhealth projects since 2012 mainly in Bangladesh but also in Pakistan and India. Up till now about 12,000 women have been given education and training in:

• Raising awareness on nutrition, healthy eating, personal and menstrual hygiene, family planning, and maternal health
• Improving the capacity of the workplace clinic, including the provision of some forms of contraception.
• Improving health-related behavior such as disease testing, seeking out preventive care,conducting breast self-examination, using sanitary napkins instead of dirty cloths from the factory floor and when to go to the doctor.
• Strengthening workplace policies and systems promoting worker well-being.
• Linking workplaces with external service providers such as local clinics
• Addressing myths and misconceptions around potentially harmful health practices andbelieves.
• Building confidence and communication skills around discussing important health issuesat work and at home.

We have mainly worked with our supply chain from a bottom up approach (HERhealth projects) to drive change through worker engagement and training. We plan to continue with this and have planned 11 new HERhealth projects to start during 2017. But we also see the need for a top to bottom approach, a gender based management system in order to improve and ensure the inclusion of gender issues into Human Resources.

But we also see the need for a top to bottom approach, a gender based management system in order to improve and ensure the inclusion of gender issues into Human Resources.
WE WOMEN by Lindex is a 3 year project developed through a Public Private Partnership with GIZ, a German development agency, and in cooperation with BSR and other non-government organizations. The purpose of the project is to mainstream gender inclusion in the management systems of the Bangladeshi ready –made garment industry. After the project is finished we willintroduce this Management system into our whole supply chain in India, Pakistan, Turkey,China, Myanmar and Cambodia.
This project goes beyond the replication of HERhealth projects with gendered lessons learned as this partnership with GIZ aims at institutionalizing an industry wide approach towards including gender and management issues into the HR system management tools. We will try and achieve a systematic change and move from project to business principles.

There is also an element of community engagement in this project. Lindex will together with GIZ start a Women ́s Café in one of the areas where we have production. When the project ends Lindex will run the café on its own. The café will be open for all but especially for women. It will be a meeting place with focus on capacity building, training and awareness raising but also issues that the women need and want.

The program will, through access to training/advisory services and a toolbox, support suppliers in improving their gender related performance through setting gender indicators in their management systems. To give female workers in the factories higher chances to work in middle to higher staff positions and have access to better technical, financial and health related training. Training will also be provided for men, it is important to include them in order to drive change both in the factory as well as in the community.The impact of this commitment will be measured in Lindex Business Scorecard which grade Lindex suppliers according to both business and sustainability indicators. It is directly connected to business benefits.The pilot targets the Lindex supply chain in Bangladesh where the number of female workers in the stitching units constitute 60% of the total workforce. The total workforce is 83.500 people and 50.276 of these are female workers.