The processes of transforming raw materials into finished product involves several phases, some having a high degree of automation and little human labour, while others are labour-intense and require manual labour. Especially the phases for textiles and apparel in the assembling stage and production of certain raw materials such as cotton, have particular labour-intense stages.

The global supply chain in the apparel and footwear sector is an important source of employment, especially for women who may face barriers to accessing paid employment. In 2019 the global textile and garment sector provided employment for approximately 91 million workers, of whom 50 million were women. Specifically in the garment manufacturing stage about 80% are women, making it the largest employer of women across all industries.

[1]

The industry has great potential to positively impact millions of people, particularly women’s lives. At the same time the global supply chain poses risks of challenging working conditions and a lack of labour rights, which have been well-documented in the industry. At B Dæhlie, we are committed to working only with supply chain partners who uphold high standard and addresses potential issues that may affect the well-being of people involved in making our products. It is our priority to ensure that everyone involved in the production of our products is treated fairly, which will benefit both individuals and our business relationships in the long run.

At B Dæhlie we take a multifaceted approach to assure we live up to our commitment to protect human rights across our value chain. All our direct and nominated suppliers, including both assembling and material manufactures, have signed and agreed to our code of conduct. The supplier code of conduct is founded on key recognized international frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Labor Organizations (ILO) International Labor Standards, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (

link to AB site for the full COC

)

We take pride in our stable and reliable supply chain, which is supported by our long-standing relationships with our partners. Our sourcing office in Shanghai closely manages these partnerships, and our team engages in daily dialogues with our supply chain partners while also making regular visits to their facilities to ensure a seamless and efficient dialogue. We are monitoring and making improvements among suppliers partly by third-party social audits, and partly by self-assessments and social dialogue. For audits we are utilizing the Amfori BSCI standard, which all our key suppliers are enrolled at.

We are sharing all assembling partners and key material supplier via Open Supply Hub (

link

) Open Supply Hub (OS Hub) is an accessible, collaborative,

[1]

ILO “The state of the apparel and footwear industry: Employment, automation and their gender dimensions”, January 2022