Gender and Governance of Global Value Chains: promoting rights of women workers: Promoting rights of women workers

Private governance channelled through social compliance programmes and gender initiatives of multinational companies (MNC) are ineffective in tackling gender discrimination in global value chains. The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) provide a public-private governance framework to address human rights globally, including gender equality. This paper asks whether the UNGP can provide a more effective governance framework for addressing women workers’ rights in global value chains. It argues interlayered forms of governance (involving public, private and social actors) are critical to addressing gender discrimination and advancing a gendered approach to human rights due diligence.