Khoeriyah

Khoeriyah, who goes by ‘Lala,’ uses her bachelor’s degree in fashion design to work in the layout division preparing patterns. As the sole breadwinner in her household, she emphasizes the importance of her income, saying, “Having my own income means I can provide for my family because both of my parents no longer work, and while I’m still living with my parents I provide for the family – I cover all the needs of the house.”

Khoeriyah has also learned about the importance of reproductive health. “I am fortunate that at work we have HERproject that provides information on contraception,” she shared. “I want to have two kids: one boy and one girl,” she adds with a smile. “I can plan a better family with two kids …. First and foremost I consider the funding for their education. Secondly, a smaller family seems to be a happier family. We can share a love that is fuller.”

In her eight years at the factory, Khoeriah notes that she has seen a change in her coworkers since the introduction of the HERproject, saying, “The change that I witness among my friends following HERproject is that they know more about contraception, how to plan their number of children.” This knowledge extends beyond simply improving the workers’ health and also aids the women workers in advancing their careers, adds Khoeriah. “Without the HERproject,” Khoeriyah explains, “employees would not be able to plan their families - they would not know how to use contraception.”

To learn more about how we are empowering women our suppliers’ factories, please view a photo blog, created by the Universal Access Project at the United Nations Foundation.