WOW's Hidden in Plain Sight: Why We Need More Data about Women in Global Value Chains

From Work and Opportunitites for Women (WOW). We know very little about the millions of women working in global value chains, who grow the food we eat, make the clothes we wear and contribute to products we use every day. Despite being at the heart of global value chains, these women are quite literally invisible; hidden in plain sight. This invisibility prevents women from fully contributing to and benefiting from their productive work. What’s more, the lack of knowledge about this population of workers directly inhibits companies’ ability to make informed business decisions about their supply chains.

This brief is written for companies or practitioners engaging in global value chains, in particular those such as garments, agriculture and personal care, which rely heavily on women workers. It is also aimed at anyone looking to create safe and fair working conditions for all men and women workers.