Women Labour Agency at the Bottom of Global Production Network through Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives

Abstract

In areas of limited statehood, little attention has been paid to marginalized workers at the bottom of global production networks. There is thus room for multi-stakeholder initiatives as a form of collaborative governance working towards better working conditions. The literature on multi-stakeholder initiatives lacks comprehensive knowledge of how various stakeholders collaborate and affect women workers, who have distinct roles in developing countries. Based on forty semi-structured interviews with a range of stakeholders involved in the Better Cotton Initiative (Pakistan), this article shows how they stay connected through a standard system aimed at promoting decent work for local women workers. Specifically, this article show how the labour agency of women workers in areas of limited statehood is affected and how women’s working lives can change. To improve our understanding of these women, the article takes a more nuanced perspective to what constitutes an area of limited statehood.