The Garment Worker Diaries collect  regular, credible data on the work hours, income, expenses, and financial tool use of workers in the global apparel and textile supply chain in producing countries.

The objective of the project is to have the data inform: government policy decisions, collective bargaining, and factory and brand initiatives related to improving the lives of garment workers.

The project began in 2016 when Microfinance Opportunities, in collaboration with local research firms in Bangladesh, India and Cambodia, collected data from 180 women in each country every week for a period of a year. The project entered its second, scaled up phase in 2018 when it began collecting data from over 1,300 garment workers in Bangladesh. The project is currently in its third phase as we continue weekly phone-based data collection with 1,300 garment workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 crisis. The majority of the workers are women and many of them have been participating in the project for over two years. The data will result in a major improvement in the transparency of global supply chains, and will help us understand how garment workers cope during crises, with an eye to how digital financial services might play a role in alleviating economic concerns.

This project is currently led by Microfinance Opportunities in collaboration with SANEM in Bangladesh. A number of other organizations have also been involved along the way, including: BRAC and Bangladesh Country Office of SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Bangladesh; TNS in Cambodia; and Morsel Ltd. in India. Laudes Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have provided financial support along with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka. Fashion Revolution has been a partner in spreading the word about the Diaries and engaging stakeholders to advocate for changes in the global supply chain that will improve the lives of garment workers.