Quick win No. 1

A political statement at the highest levels promoting quick and early vaccination of workers in the textile, footwear and apparel global value chains, especially in the developing world, where women predominantly work

Apparel manufacturing is one of the top five biggest industries by global employment in 2021 according to IBISWorld. Because apparel manufacturing requires a low capital investment, many developing countries have been able to attract investment through providing a readily available supply of workers. However, the apparel industry has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the closure of garment factories in developing countries and resulting loss of jobs. This has led to calls from the American Apparel and Footwear Association to increase vaccine distribution to partner countries.

The vast majority of workers in the apparel industry are women. In most developing countries, women have limited opportunities to work outside the home. This industry provides a suitable option for employment that reduces poverty and strengthens social stability.

Women’s health is a priority. Women are generally the primary caregivers for a family, and the loss of a matriarch can cause familial and societal chaos that can reverberate through communities and countries. Vaccine administration should therefore focus on the key familial access points (ie. mothers/matriarchs) to ensure access to families and lead to greater participation in vaccination programs.

Labor intensive manufacturing bases in developing countries offer immediate access to thousands of employees that can be expanded quickly to their families and their communities. These facilities offer an existing organizational structure that can be harnessed to administer vaccines, including through the use of onsite health clinics or services or shared medical facilities located in industrial zones. There can also be secondary outreach to provide vaccinations to the community in which the manufacturing facilities or industrial zones are located.

Prioritizing employees of labor-intensive manufacturers and their families helps to ensure that basic domestic needs and critical foreign currency are not disrupted due to the pandemic. Minimal disruption in supply chains is also important given the impact on communities. The current disruption to the supply chains threatens to disrupt and displace manufacturing. Those developing countries that are unable to get their workers vaccinated quickly will likely lose jobs to other more developed countries that prioritize workers. Ensuring the return of these jobs to developing countries may be a decades long process and cause further decline in wealth.

Global institutions should thus adopt strong statements promoting the prioritization of the distribution of vaccinations to workers in labor intensive manufacturing operations in developing countries.