LS&Co. Unzipped

Welcome to our blog. Here’s where you’ll find a “behind-the-seams” look at what’s going on with Levi Strauss & Co. You’ll hear from a variety of voices, from both inside and outside the company. And you have the chance to share your thoughts. So read on — and weigh in!

Sep 19 2012

Adding a "His" to HERproject

When it comes to improving women’s health, do men have a role?

Absolutely.

That’s a guiding principle behind the Levi Strauss Foundation’s support for BSR’s HERproject, a program that advances the health and well-being of thousands of women in apparel factories where Levi Strauss & Co.’s products are made.

This time, the Levi Strauss Foundation and our partner in Pakistan, Aga Khan University, is supporting a HERproject program…for men. 

Even though HERproject traditionally targets female workers, men are critical partners when it comes to pre- and post-natal care, family planning, and preventing sexually transmitted infections – health topics that are at the core of our curriculum for women. According to our data, they also face unique health risks of their own—namely smoking, drug addiction, and dengue fever.

The first phase of the program had targeted female workers, who experienced significant health benefits, and the factory reported reduced absenteeism and turnover rates.

So, it wasn’t a surprise to us that educating men drove several improvements in health behaviors and attitudes as well:

• Factory management reported that men visited the onsite clinic more frequently to ask questions about their own health, as well as the health of their wives.

• Male workers demanded that smoking be prohibited in the factory. They also organized to ban other unhealthy behaviors, such as chewing paan or betel (a stimulant commonly used by both male and female workers).

• Men learned that neglecting women's general and reproductive health can have a range of consequences for their entire family.

For women and men alike, HERproject has proven to be a successful model for improving worker well-being, as it relates to health and beyond.

By empowering women and men to learn about their health and share their knowledge with their coworkers and families, we are encouraging them to take responsibility for their health—a shift in behavior with profound implications far beyond the factory walls.

Posted By: Elissa Goldenberg, BSR Advisory Services

 Bookmark and Share
 

Tags: Levi Strauss Foundation,Social Responsibility,Sustainability

Before posting your comment, please read the Blog Guidelines.

Claire (not verified) - Sep 19 2012
Fantastic project which can truly have profound impacts on gender equality, family well being and economic security. Well done, Elissa, BSR and Levi Strauss!

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.

Before posting your comment, please read the Blog Guidelines.

We welcome your comments.

When submitting a blog comment, please consider the following guidelines:

  • Focus on the topic
  • Be constructive and considerate
  • All submissions are subject to the terms set forth in our Terms of Use

This is a moderated blog. Each comment will be reviewed. We reserve the right not to post your submission if it’s off-topic or contains any of the following types of content or violates other guidelines:

  • Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other language not suitable for a public forum
  • Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers, or websites
  • Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other forms of contact information
  • Critical or spiteful comments on other posts on the page or their authors

In addition, if you wish to share feedback with us about product selection, pricing, ordering, delivery or other customer service issues, please do not submit this feedback through this blog. Instead, contact us here.