Oxfam & Laudes launch initiative for Cambodian garment workers

The primary objective of INSPIRE is to contribute to poverty and inequality reduction efforts in Cambodia through the strengthening social protection system. This project will strategically contribute to positive improvement of coverage of and access to gender transformative social protection for apparel industry workers. INSPIRE will strengthen the capacity of trade unions to better represent and negotiate workers’ social protection needs and entitlements. They will also be supported to influence social protection policy outcomes through their meaningful participation in multi-stakeholder dialogues and decision-making meetings at national level, tripartite dialogues, and Oxfam’s existing social protection for all (SP4ALL) platform.

This initiative will enable apparel industry workers across 12 provinces and municipalities to better access to social protections schemes and benefits, information, and to uphold service providers more accountable. It will also support the government of Cambodia to integrate gender transformative social protection approach into its social protection policy intervention.

INSPIRE and partners will help to leverage the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and address the remaining barriers to social protection among apparel industry employees, particularly contract workers. These include limited access to information about social protection schemes and benefits, lack of compliance among apparel industry employers, and the quality of services provided and available to apparel industry workers.

Sophoan Phean, national director of Oxfam, said: “Oxfam is committed to working with and supporting Royal Government of Cambodia and stakeholders to reduce poverty and inequality amongst apparel industry employees especially those who are in the informal arrangements, the majority of them women, by enhancing their access to inclusive social protection. Having access to social protection is critical for them and their households, as it helps sustain their well-being, build resilience, and reduce risk of global shocks or pandemic.”

Jill Tucker, head of labour rights programme of Laudes Foundation, said: “Contributory social security schemes like the NSSF strengthen the social contract and provide a basis for workers to demand support and protection when they experience illness, workplace injuries or economic shocks. Fulfilling this promise hinges in part on workers’ voices being better represented and reflected in policy discussions. Through collaboration with Oxfam on the INSPIRE initiative, we believe apparel industry workers in Cambodia will be able to access the benefits they are entitled to under the NSSF.”

This project will be jointly implemented by four well established NGO and trade unions, such as Centre for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC), Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU), and Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU).

The two organisations will also work closely with several strategic partners, such as National Social Protection Council (NSPC), NSSF, Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT), The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF), Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), international brand companies and apparel industry employers, and other stakeholders to strengthen and safeguard inclusive social protection for apparel industry employees across the Kingdom.

Through the intervention of this project, apparel industry workers and their households will be able to reduce their vulnerability by having better access to the National Social Security Fund and other social protection benefits. It is expected to benefit a total of 23,000 individuals directly and 735,000 indirectly. More importantly, it is anticipated that approximately 1,000,000 individuals will be sensitised by public awareness campaigns, position papers, evidence-based research, and other communication activities of the project.