"Groundbreaking Gender Justice Agreement Signed in Indonesian Garment Factories", 12 March 2025

After years of enduring gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), courageous women workers in two garment factories have secured a groundbreaking, union-led gender justice agreement, signed in July 2024: the Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice.

These factories are owned by the firm Ontide...They together employ 6,250 workers producing sportswear for major U.S. brands, including Fanatics, which sources both its own products and, under license, Nike-branded apparel from the factories – including apparel bearing the logos of universities and colleges.

The Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice was negotiated by four unions—SPN, SPSI, and KASBI at PT Batang Apparel Indonesia, and SPSI at PT Semarang Garment Indonesia—with the support of the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), and Global Labor Justice (GLJ), all of whom are signatories. The Agreement establishes a union-led program to eliminate GBVH...

For years, under the factories’ prior owners, women workers faced non-consensual touching, sexual comments, verbal abuse, and coercion. Despite fear of retaliation, women workers bravely reported the abuse, triggering WRC investigations in 2021 and 2022. The WRC documented systemic GBVH. This led both to immediate remedies, which the new owners implemented at Fanatics’ request, and the negotiation of this historic agreement...

Buyers that have apparel licensing agreements with WRC-affiliated universities are obligated, pursuant to those agreements, to ensure that suppliers like Ontide fulfill their contractual commitments to workers and unions...The buyers’ role has been critical, both in ensuring that the recommended remedies were implemented and that the negotiations were launched and bore fruit.

“The journey towards a safe and gender-based violence-free workplace does not happen overnight. This agreement is the result of years of courageous struggle by women workers against harassment and oppression. This is momentum for us to keep moving forward and ensure that every workplace in the garment industry follows this path,” said Turyana, Plant-level Leader, PUK-F.SPTSK-K.SPSI PT Semarang Garment.

“This agreement is not just about two factories in Central Java. It sets a precedent for the garment industry in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and globally that workers can and must have the right to a safe and dignified workplace. We call on all trade unions in this sector to take inspiration from this agreement in their struggles,” said Egye Gumilang, Plant Level Leader, PSP SPN PT Batang Apparel Indonesia.

“We believe that a fair and violence-free workplace is in the interest of all parties. This is not just a workers’ struggle but a shared responsibility among trade unions, factory management, and global brands,” said Sekarsari Dewi, Plant-level Leader, PUK-F.SPTSK-K.SPSI PT Batang Apparel Indonesia.

“Factories, workers, and global brands should see this as a mutually beneficial step forward. When workers feel safe and respected, productivity increases, work quality improves, and trust in responsible brands grows stronger,” said Dede Erwanto, Plant level leader, SBDK KASBI PT Batang Apparel...

“As part of our commitment to ensure that the workers who manufacture Fanatics’ products worldwide are treated fairly and respectfully, we are pleased to have had the opportunity to support the negotiation and implementation of the Central Java Gender Justice Agreement between our supplier Ontide, Indonesian unions, the Worker Rights Consortium, Asia Floor Wage Alliance, and Global Labor Justice. The comprehensive program created by this Agreement is creating a safer and more secure workplace for all workers at these factories,” said Chris Fox, Chief Sustainability Officer of Fanatics Commerce.

“We are proud to be joining together with the four unions representing our workforce, the Asia Floor Wage Alliance, Global Labor Justice, and the Worker Rights Consortium on this Agreement to benefit and protect our workforce, with the support of our business partner Fanatics. As part of our commitment to our workers’ safety and well-being, we are pleased to be seeing initial results of the timely and robust implementation of this agreement,” said John Yoon, Sustainability Director of Ontide.