African producers exporting fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers to UK supermarkets now have to meet codes of conduct covering their conditions of employment. Much of the workforce is female seasonal labour, with men predominantly occupying permanent and more secure work. Employment conditions are often far worse for women. The gender-sensitivity of many company codes is weak with little stakeholder participation at a local level. Unless gender issues are addressed, ethical trade may not improve the employment conditions of the majority workforce.

Recent research has mapped the codes of conduct currently being applied to horticultural exports in South Africa, Kenya and Zambia, examining and assessing the codes from a gender perspective. Numerous sets of codes are being applied including independent codes, private company codes, and sectoral codes produced by trade associations.

The gender sensitivity and content of the codes varies widely. Some simply refer to national legislation (which can vary enormously between countries) as the basis for employment standards. The majority uses ILO core conventions as their basis, but still fail to cover important issues facing the majority female labour force. Some are more comprehensive but uneven in their coverage of gender issues. The gender content of codes is variable and can be extremely weak.

How far are gender issues addressed in code implementation? It is clear that there is little or no stakeholder participation in the monitoring or verification of codes in the horticultural sector. Some professional auditors carried out brief consultation with local stakeholders but implementation of codes, however, depends largely on auditing by technologists from supermarkets, importers or exporters with little or no training in social auditing. Audits are unlikely to identify gender issues and can miss glaring problems.

If codes of conduct are to improve the working conditions of all workers, including the majority female temporary labour force, gender issues need to be given a much higher priority in the monitoring and verification of codes.

Mechanisms are needed that address the interests of female as well as male workers and ensure that local stakeholders are incorporated into the process. There is an urgent need to:

• find means of harmonisation in terms of content and the number of private sector codes
• improve the gender content of codes guided by a gender-sensitive framework that private companies and bodies designing codes could follow
• conduct a more systematic gender analysis of ethical trade to provide a basis for addressing the civil, economic and social rights of female as well as male workers
• develop viable mechanisms to ensure local stakeholders, including groups representing the interests of women workers, are incorporated into code implementation
• establish guidelines and procedures for gender sensitive auditing along with gender training in social auditing for all involved in the auditing process
• develop complementary policies (government and international organisations) to address broader issues of gender inequity beyond the scope of codes alone.

Source(s):
'Ethical Trade and South African Deciduous Fruit Exports – Addressing Gender Sensitivity' in European Journal of Development Research Volume 12/1 by S. Barrientos, S. McClenaghan and L. Orton (2000)
'Ethical Sourcing: A Contribution to Sustainability or a Diversion?' in Sustainable Development 9 by Mick Blowfield (2000)
'A Review of UK Company Codes of Conduct' Social Development Division, Department for International Development: London, by C. Ferguson (1998)

Funded by: Department for International Development (Escor R7525) 2000-2001

id21 Research Highlight: 9 October 2001

Further Information:
Stephanie Barrientos
Institute of Development Studies
University of Sussex
Falmer, Brighton,
BN1 9RE
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 877032
Contact the contributor: s.barrientos@ids.ac.uk

Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK

Other related links:
'The lure of the French bean: what’s in it for women?'

'Fresh off the shelf: gender and horticulture in Africa'

Futre Harvest reports on how women produce 60-80% of food in most developing countries

See the Virtual Information Network for Ethical Trade in Horticulture

WWW promotes the rights of women workers and details codes of conduct

ETI promotes good practice in the implementation of codes of labour practice

ILO features standards and fundamental principles and rights at work