Women at ‘daily risk’ of slapping, sexual abuse and harassment in Walmart’s Asian supplier factories, rights groups say
Based on 250 interviews, a coalition of charities said female employees were ‘systematically exposed to violence’ and faced retaliation if they reported attacks
Women who work in Asian factories making clothes for the global retail giant Walmart are at “daily risk” of slapping, sexual abuse and other harassment, rights groups said on Friday.
Based on interviews with about 250 workers in 60 Walmart supplier factories in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia, a coalition of charities said women were “systematically exposed to violence” and faced retaliation if they reported the attacks.
The coalition has investigated the factories for more than six years as efforts mount to push Western brands into cleaning up the workplace and improving safety along their supply chains.
US-based Walmart, with at least 11,000 stores in nearly 30 nations, said it was reviewing the findings of the report.
“The accounts by workers is concerning, and we take allegations like this seriously,” a Walmart spokeswoman said.
