https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Sumangali_%28child_labour%29Sumangali (child labour) - Revision history2026-11-02T20:07:46ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sumangali_(child_labour)&diff=538164&oldid=prevVedpsagar: Made new biography - done2025-08-07T23:22:42Z<p>Made new biography - done</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Form of child labour in India}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}<br />
'''Sumangali''' is a form of [[child labour]] which, although forbidden, is practised in [[India]], particularly the [[textile industry]] in [[Tamil Nadu]]. It is likened to ''soft trafficking'',{{sfn|Jaishankar|p=410}} a less explicit form of [[Human trafficking in India|human trafficking]]. In the scheme, a girl is hired on contract for three to five years, during which she earns a wage, and after which she is paid a [[lump sum]] to pay for a [[dowry]].{{sfn|Carr|p=58}} It is said to have originated in [[Coimbatore]] in the late 1990s.{{sfn|Fair Labor Association|p=7}}<br />
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The scheme is also known as ''Sumungali scheme'', ''Sumungali Thittam'', ''Suba Mangala scheme'', ''Subha Mangala scheme'', ''Mangalya Thittam'', ''Thirumangalam thiruman thittam'', the ''marriage scheme'', and the ''camp coolie'' system.{{sfn|Iyengar|p=16}} The term ''Sumangali'' means "married woman"{{sfn|Jaishankar|p=410}} or "happily married woman" in [[Tamil language|Tamil]].{{sfn|Fair Labor Association|p=7}} It refers to a "single girl becoming a respectable woman through marriage".{{sfn|Matthews}}<br />
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==Recruitment==<br />
A recruiter visits households of prospective young female labourers and discusses with the girl and her parents the benefits of Sumangali work. Most of the target girls are from poor families,{{sfn|Jaishankar|p=410}} and usually between 15 and 18 years old.{{sfn|Iyengar|p=16}} Benefits offered may include three meals a day, air conditioning, a swimming pool, and free movies, all available at the employer's dormitory.{{sfn|Nolen}} They may also offer a bonus to be paid at the end of the contract.<ref> {{harv|Nolen}}: For example, 36,000 rupees after three years of employment.</ref> The recruiter is paid a [[Commission (remuneration)|commission]] for each girl hired by the textile manufacturer.<ref>{{harv|Nolen}} A commission of 1500 rupees per girl has been documented.</ref> Some girls are taken without their parents' consent.{{sfn|Jaishankar|p=410}}<br />
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More than 80 percent of recruits are hired for work in [[Spinning (textiles)|spinning mills]]. The remainder work in garment manufacturing.{{sfn|Solidaridad Network}}<br />
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==Work==<br />
Once hired on contract, the girls move into a company-controlled compound, and are trained for their jobs as [[Apprenticeship|apprentices]].{{sfn|Iyengar|p=16}} The compounds are kept under surveillance, and the girls are rarely permitted to leave and have little contact with their families. The girls are required to work long [[Shift work|shifts]] in noisy factories, are subjected to verbal and physical abuse,{{sfn|Carr|p=58}} and are paid low wages. The girls are expected to work 12-hour shifts six days a week, and sometimes additional night shifts or [[overtime]].{{sfn|Terre des Hommes}}<br />
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The purpose of the compound is to prevent contact between the girls and union activists,{{sfn|Luetchford|p=226}} and to supervise the activities of the employees.{{sfn|Luetchford|p=226}} To leave the compound during their employment, they must be accompanied by a warden.{{sfn|Iyengar|p=17}} The girls are permitted to visit their family during [[Diwali]] and [[Thai Pongal]].{{sfn|Palanithurai|Ramesh|p=133}} According to the Tirupur People's Forum, the compounds are dingy and dusty, and may be repurposed buildings, such as poultry barns.{{sfn|Iyengar|p=17}}<br />
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Some employers in this industry may also require the girls work a minimum of 26 days a month, and deduct from their wages fifteen rupees per day for missing a single day.{{sfn|Palanithurai|p=201}} The starting wage is 34 rupees a day, increasing by 2 rupees per day every six months{{sfn|Iyengar|p=17}} to a maximum of 45 rupees per day. From this wage, deductions are made by the employer for employer-mandated lodging and meals at the compound,{{sfn|Nolen}} typically 450–550 rupees per month.{{sfn|Iyengar|p=17}}<br />
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The bonus promised to them is also deducted from their wages, a form of [[Debt bondage in India|debt bondage]] illegal in India since 1976,{{sfn|Nolen}} and is to be part of a dowry,{{sfn|Nolen}} [[Dowry law in India|illegal in India]] since 1961. Few girls obtain the bonus,{{sfn|Carr|p=59}} as most are injured or become ill and are fired,{{sfn|Nolen}} or simply wear out and quit.{{sfn|Nolen}} Most that approach the employment duration for the bonus are "fired for some pretext or another",{{sfn|Nolen}} such as for contacting union activists.{{sfn|Luetchford|p=226}}{{sfn|Palanithurai|Ramesh|p=133}} As the girls are considered apprentices, the manufacturers calculate the girls' wages with respect to minimum wage laws as the combined contract salary and future bonus.{{sfn|Terre des Hommes}}<br />
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==Activism==<br />
According to [[Terre des hommes]] and other [[Aid agency|humanitarian organisations]], this scheme enables [[Child labour|exploitation of the girls]], some of whom are beaten, starved, or [[Sexual assault|sexually assaulted]].{{sfn|Geißler}} Accidents caused by use of outdated or poorly maintained machinery are common, usually resulting in cuts to the fingers or hands, and sometimes amputation.{{sfn|Terre des Hommes}} There is a high rate of suicide amongst Sumangali workers.{{sfn|Overeem|Peepercamp|p=5}}<br />
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{{As of|2013}}, approximately 120,000 girls and young women have been hired under the Sumangali system.{{sfn|Geißler}} The ''Campaign Against Sumangali Scheme'' began in [[Tirunelveli]] and ended in [[Tirupur]] on 21 December 2012. It was conducted to raise awareness amongst the poor likely to be exploited by the scheme.{{sfn|Staff reporter}} Because the garment industry requires low-skill labour, there is often little chance for personal and skills development, and the girls become "dispensable" labour.{{sfn|Carr|p=59}}<br />
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The Sumangali scheme is described as a side effect of [[Child labour in India|child labour laws in India]] preventing the employment of children less than fifteen years old. As a result, there has been an increase in the employment of adolescents between fifteen and eighteen years old.{{sfn|Nathan|George|p=53}}<br />
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In the report ''Understanding the Characteristics of the Sumangali Scheme in Tamil Nadu Textile & Garment Industry and Supply Chain Linkages'', the [[Fair Labor Association]] listed a number of issues related to the Sumangali scheme:{{sfn|Fair Labor Association|p=6}}<br />
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*lack of a written employment contract<br />
*girls employed as apprentices, paid a [[stipend]] instead of a wage<br />
*significant and required deductions<br />
*no company payment for the [[Employees' Provident Fund Organisation of India|Provident Fund]] or [[Employees' State Insurance]]<br />
*little or no training, resulting in low health and safety awareness<br />
*long shift work, often 12 hours<br />
*compulsory overtime and extension of shift work<br />
*[[Sexism|gender discrimination]] for wages; boys and men are paid more for equivalent work<br />
*commonly exposed to verbal abuse<br />
*infrequently subjected to physical abuse or sexual abuse<br />
*forced labour and debt bondage<br />
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==Reaction==<br />
Some [[fashion design]] houses that source textiles from Tamil Nadu, or from suppliers that do so, have taken action regarding the scheme. [[C&A]] suspended one of its supplier accounts it had determined was practicing the Sumangali scheme, and later closed it when the supplier would not terminate the practice.{{sfn|C&A}} It also stated that Sumangali work had shifted to "earlier parts of the textile chain",{{sfn|C&A}} especially spinning mills outside the purview of their auditors. It has also joined a Terre des hommes project and is part of the Brands Ethical Working Group. [[Ted Baker]] issued a [[press release]] stating it was not aware of any Sumangali work within its supply chain, but that it could "play an important role in condemning practices like these".{{sfn|Ted Baker}} It joined with other brands in support of [[Anti-Slavery International]] and the [[Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations]] (SOMO).{{sfn|Ted Baker}}<br />
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The companies [[ASOS.com]], [[Bestseller (company)|Bestseller]], C&A, [[Cortefiel]], [[H&M]], [[Mothercare]], [[Next plc]], [[Primark]], and [[Tesco]] issued a press release condemning the practice, and stating that their suppliers would be required to "demonstrate, in a transparent manner, satisfactory employment practices and working conditions".{{sfn|SOMO}} These companies had been identified in several reports criticizing their supply chain practices, as were those of [[Asda]] (and owner [[Walmart]]), [[Diesel (brand)|Diesel]], [[Inditex]], [[Old Navy]] (and owner [[Gap (clothing retailer)|Gap Inc.]]), [[Marks & Spencer]], [[s.Oliver]], [[The Timberland Company]], and [[Tommy Hilfiger Corporation]].{{sfn|Fair Labor Association|p=4}}<br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[Caste system in India]]<br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist|3}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{refbegin|2}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=Trading Stories: Experiences With Gender and Trade|last1=Carr|first1=Marilyn|last2=Williams|first2=Mariama|publisher=Commonwealth Secretariat|year=2010|isbn=978-0-85092-873-0}}<br />
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.fairlabor.org/sites/default/files/documents/reports/understanding_sumangali_tamil_nadu_0.pdf|title=Understanding the Characteristics of the Sumangali Scheme in Tamil Nadu Textile & Garment Industry and Supply Chain Linkages|website=[[Fair Labor Association]]|date=2012-05-08|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite news|url=http://www.berliner-kurier.de/geisslers-nachschlag/unmenschlich-stoppt-endlich-die-ausbeutung-der-textil-sklaven-,11561998,21018058.html|first=Heiner|last=Geißler|title=Stoppt endlich die Ausbeutung der Textil-Sklaven!|newspaper=[[Berliner Kurier]]|date=3 December 2012|access-date=2012-12-30}}<br />
*{{cite journal|journal=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?237716|title=Wound on a Spindle|last=Iyengar|first=Pushpa|publisher=Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt. Ltd.|volume=48|issue=25|date=June 2008}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=International Perspectives on Crime and Justice|last=Jaishankar|first=K.|year=2009|publisher=K. Jaishankar |isbn=978-1-4438-0198-0}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=Hidden Hands in the Market: Ethnographies of Fair Trade, Ethical Consumption and Corporate Social Responsibility|volume=28|editor1-last=Luetchford|editor1-first=Peter|editor2-last=De Neve|editor2-first=Geert|publisher=Emerald Group Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84855-059-9}}<br />
*{{cite web |url=http://www.good.is/posts/caste-off|title=Caste Off|last=Matthews|first=Adam|website=Good|publisher=Good Worldwide|issue=27|date=31 May 2012|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite journal |url=http://www.epw.in/system/files/Corporate%20Governance%20and%20child%20labour.pdf|title=Corporate Governance and Child Labour|last1=Nathan|first1=Dev|last2=George|first2=Ann T.|journal=[[Economic and Political Weekly]]|volume=47|number=50|date=2012-12-15|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/breaking-caste/in-parts-of-india-dowry-schemes-are-used-to-lure-girls-to-bonded-labour/article6781476/|title=In parts of India, dowry schemes are used to lure girls to bonded labour |last=Nolen|first=Stephanie|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=29 December 2012|access-date=2012-12-30}}<br />
*{{cite web|url=http://somo.nl/publications-en/Publication_3818/at_download/fullfile|title=Bonded (child) labour in the Indian garment industry|last1=Overeem|first1=Pauline|last2=Peepercamp|first2=Marijn|publisher=SOMO|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=Youth as Catalysts and Change Makers|last1=Palanithurai|first1=Ganapathy|last2=Thirunavukkarasu|first2=M. A.|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year=2010|isbn=978-81-8069-682-4}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=Globalization and Rural Development|last1=Palanithurai|first1=Ganapathy|last2=Ramesh|first2=R.|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year=2011|isbn=978-81-8069-750-0}}<br />
*{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/campaign-against-sumangali-scheme-culminates-in-tirupur/article4224916.ece |title=Campaign against 'Sumangali scheme' culminates in Tirupur|date=21 December 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=23 August 2020}}<br />
*{{cite web|url=http://www.tdh.de/home/meldungen/maedchen-in-textilindustrie-in-tirupur/hintergrund.html|title=Was ist das Sumangali-Schema?|website=Terre des Hommes|year=2012}}<br />
*{{cite web|url=http://www.c-and-a.com/uk/en/corporate/fileadmin/mediathek/uk-uk/Pressreleases/CSR_Site/Sumangali_in_India_illegal_and_unacceptable.pdf|title=Sumangali in India: illegal and unacceptable|website=[[C&A]]|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite web|url=http://www.tedbaker.com/faqs/ethical_+_environmental_issues/what_is_the_sumangali_scheme_and_what_is_ted_baker_doing_in_response_to_it_/answers.aspx|title=What is the Sumangali Scheme and what is Ted Baker doing in response to it?|website=[[Ted Baker]]|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite web|url=http://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/report-action-plan-sumangali-scheme-india|title=Report: Action Plan for "Sumangali Scheme" in India|website=Solidaridad Network|date=6 August 2012|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
*{{cite web|url=http://www.primark-ethicaltrading.co.uk/documents/case_study_documents/sumangali|title=Response to SOMO/ICN/CASS Report|website=Primark Ethical Trading|access-date=2012-12-31}}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://somo.nl/publications-en/Publication_3673 Captured by Cotton], a report by [[Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations]] and India Committee of the Netherlands<br />
*[http://www.fairwear.org/ul/cms/fck-uploaded/documents/companies/FWFdocs/fwf-india-sumangalischeme.pdf Sumangali Scheme] by the [[Fair Wear Foundation]]<br />
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[[Category:Child labour in India]]<br />
[[Category:Debt bondage in South Asia]]<br />
[[Category:Textile industry in Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Slavery in India]]</div>Vedpsagar