For centuries, women have been the cultural custodians of Indian handloom and textiles, sewing motifs to embroideries; from dyeing to weaving, such as kantha, chikankari, phulkari, or the Kutch mirror work. These textiles are living archives of stories, rituals, and regional histories encoded in patterns and techniques.

Women’s role in the Indian textile industry sits at the intersection of Legacy and Rights. They make up the majority of the workforce in textile and garment factories, keeping the legacy of Indian textiles through their generationally passed-on skills and finesse, producing not only for the domestic market but also fast fashion for global brands.

The Gap between Legacy and Rights
Despite the significant role they play, women artisans are part of the unstructured workforce, often excluded from labour protections like a fair wage, a written work contract, overtime, and safe working conditions. They are often subject to wage disparity, forced labour, unsafe workplaces, and pervasive gender-based harassment, and these are not isolated incidents; these problems are systemic. Indian policymakers have mandated certain requirements through labour laws, but what is absent is transparency in absolute terms.

Many women are primary earners for their families, and these unfair practices bind them in cycles of dependency, poverty, and high turnover, threatening both their sustenance and the sustainability of the very industry they sustain. In the absence of fair working conditions, the younger generations are abandoning traditional skills and searching for more stable avenues of employment. As a result, unique art forms are at risk of disappearing and threatening long-term business sustainability.

Why a Social Management System?
Addressing such issues and protecting women labourers requires multifaceted mitigation strategies through robust social management systems. A Certification Scheme like FSSC 24000 helps organisations build structured approaches to labour rights, safety, and social due diligence. Grounded in the ISO aligned management system, it uses a continuous Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to proactively identify and mitigate social risks throughout the supply chain. Unlike the existing reactive approach, FSSC 24000 actively safeguards women’s livelihoods, preserves traditional skills, and strengthens the long-term sustainability of the industries that rely on them.

FSSC 24000 reframes social sustainability from a compliance obligation into a strategic management practice bringing competitive differentiation. By embedding risk-based controls, governance, and continuous improvement into everyday operations, it helps organisations move beyond spot audits towards lasting ethical performance. In a tightening regulatory and reputational landscape, FSSC 24000 offers a credible, scalable path to trust, resilience, and responsible growth across textile and apparel supply chains.

Aligning Heritage with Accountability
In recent years, the international market expectation has significantly influenced how labour practices are viewed in India’s textile sector. Buyers, especially in Europe and North America, are increasingly held accountable by regulators, investors, and consumers to be transparent in their supply chain. Any reports related to unfair wages, discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and the like result in reputational harm in this highly competitive and demanding global market. Consumers have also become more aware due to social media campaigns, investigative journalism, and reporting, which has led to amplified scrutiny and demand for ethically sourced and produced products. Indian textile brands often use the narrative of women artisans and heritage preservation. However, this narrative needs to be genuinely supported by ethical frameworks and social certification systems.

FSSC 24000: ‘Make with Care, Certify for Trust.’