Production country
Myanmar
Myanmar’s garment sector remains an important exporter, but since the 2021 coup workers face severe rights risks and shrinking civic space. Fair Wear supports member brands with heightened due diligence guidance and access to remedy, while in‑country activities are suspended.
Since the February 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s civic space and labour protections have deteriorated sharply. While the garment sector remains a major export industry, workers continue to face declining real wages, high inflation, poor working conditions, and growing job insecurity. International scrutiny has also intensified, with the International Labour Conference’s June 2025 adoption of measures under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution (its strongest response when a member State persistently fails to act on Commission of Inquiry recommendations) reflecting serious concerns over freedom of association and forced labour, and reinforcing the need for responsible sourcing to be grounded in careful, risk-aware due diligence that prioritises worker safety.
Garments are Myanmar’s leading export (FY2025–26) especially to EU
Over 450,000 estimated garment workers (≈90% women)
27
Factories Fair Wear members source from
8
Fair Wear member brands sourcing from the country
What Fair Wear is doing
How we work locally with partners to address risks and improve working conditions.
Concerns of large-scale human rights abuses in Myanmar have been roaming since the coup d’état in February 2021.In the absence of rule of law, along with the severe restrictions on labour rights and non-governmental organisations’ activities, Fair Wear no longer has a local presence in Myanmar. Fair Wear continues to monitor risks through collaborations with local stakeholders, offering companies detailed, stakeholder-validated country risk information.
Fair Wear's grievance mechanism is available in Burmese, ensuring workers can raise concerns in their own language. The mechanism provides an accessible, confidential channel, with findings feeding into Fair Wear's work with brands and suppliers to address root causes. Fair Wear facilitates collaborations with local stakeholders to the extent possible to support workers.