Better Work Madagascar
Madagascar is one of the top apparel exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa. The sector accounts for about 20% of the GDP and is the country’s largest formal employer after the agriculture industry, with over 150,000 workers.
Garment is a strategic sector in the country’s ambitions towards sustainable industrialisation and the creation of decent work for all, as outlined in the ‘Plan Emergence Madagascar’. The garment sector is known for its comparatively skilled workforce and higher value-added production catering to both traditional and non-traditional markets. The sector is however faced with skills shortages and fragile competitiveness, as well as some remaining non-compliance gaps along the supply chain.
Working in partnership with tripartite constituents – Government, workers and employers – and industry stakeholders, Better Work launched a two-year pilot intervention in Madagascar in 2021 via an innovative, flexible and scalable approach focusing simultaneously on the enterprise, sectoral and institutional levels. In a world where responsible business conduct and due diligence are increasingly key to ensuring a competitive advantage, the programme’s goal is to promote the governance and competitiveness of Malagasy supply chains, including through compliance with international labour standards.