Co-funded by the European Union under the European Commission Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (ECFFPA) the workshop focused on three core areas: understanding HREDD principles, developing organizational policies, and building practical skills in grievance redressal mechanisms (GRM).

For Fairtrade producer organizations operating in global supply chains, HREDD is no longer an optional best practice. It is increasingly a legal and commercial requirement.

A growing body of European Union legislation is driving this shift. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Forced Labour Regulation (FLR) together create a framework that requires companies selling into EU markets to demonstrate responsible business conduct across their entire value chain. For Pakistan's sports ball sector, which has deep ties to European buyers, these regulations have direct implications for market access and long-term competitiveness.

Fairtrade NAPP has been working with producer organizations in the sports ball sector to build this readiness. This workshop in Islamabad was part of that ongoing effort, providing targeted technical support to organizations that are at different stages of implementing HREDD systems internally.

How Fairtrade NAPP is Implementing HREDD Through Training

Fairtrade NAPP's approach to HREDD capacity building is hands-on and context-specific. Rather than presenting HREDD as an abstract compliance requirement, the organization works with producer organizations to connect the framework to their day-to-day operations and the real risks their workers face.

The Islamabad workshop was the second in a series of HREDD trainings for the sports ball sector. Several participants had attended an earlier workshop in September 2025, which meant the February session could build on prior learning and go deeper into practical application. The facilitator opened Day 1 with a refresher presentation led not by an external trainer but by a participant herself. Ms. Savera Iftikhar from Vision Technologies, who had attended the September workshop, walked the group through the HREDD cycle, modelling the kind of peer learning that is central to Fairtrade NAPP's training philosophy.

The two days were structured to move participants from knowledge to action. Day 1 focused on HREDD principles and EU regulations, followed by a detailed group exercise on organizational policy development. Day 2 addressed grievance redressal mechanisms through a combination of research, group presentations, and role-play performances called skits, where participants scripted and acted out real workplace scenarios to practice investigation and case management skills.

Developing Policies That Work on the Ground

One of the most substantive parts of the workshop was the Gallery Walk activity on policy development. Participants from eight groups each presented either an existing organizational policy or a proposed new one, covering areas such as Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, Grievance Handling, Working Hours, Overtime, Harassment Protection, and Environmental Management. The facilitator guided each group through their policy with follow-up questions aimed at identifying gaps, strengthening worker inclusion in drafting processes, and connecting the policy to EU regulatory requirements.

A recurring theme across the presentations was the gap between policy drafting and worker participation. Workers at multiple organizations reported that while policies existed, they had not been consulted during the development process. One participant from Talon Sports put it plainly:

"It is mostly senior management driven with involvement of department heads. There is usually no consultation with workers' representatives during policy development. Workers' voice needs to be included."

The activity also surfaced a meaningful moment around environmental accountability. Bolagema-Pakistan, which does not yet have a formal Environmental Policy in place, presented a proposed framework covering waste management, water management, air pollution control, and environmental awareness. Atif Mahmood from Bolagema emphasized the role of senior management in policy adoption:

"Without the ownership of senior managers, we cannot introduce this policy. Their education and awareness are most important so that they understand the environment issue and draft a policy on it. But I mentioned workers so that the management makes sure they include us in policy consultation. Usually, that is not the case with other policies."

Grievance Redressal: From Principle to Practice

Day 2 centered on grievance redressal mechanisms, which sit at the heart of any effective HREDD system. Grievance mechanisms are the channels through which workers and community members can raise concerns, report violations, and seek remedies. Without a functioning GRM, even the most well-drafted HREDD policy remains incomplete.

Using a jigsaw methodology, participants were divided into groups, each assigned to research a specific aspect of grievance mechanisms before presenting their findings to the full group. The topics covered included defining what a grievance mechanism is, its core principles, when to register a case, and how to manage a case from intake to closure. Participants were then able to compare their research with standard guidance from the facilitator, discovering that they had independently arrived at most of the same conclusions.

The skit exercise that followed brought the GRM to life in an especially memorable way. Groups of four to five participants scripted and performed short scenes based on real workplace complaints, including allegations of harassment, bullying by a supervisor, and disputes over overtime. Each skit involved an investigation committee, and participants took turns playing the roles of complainant, subject of concern, and committee members. Three of the five groups had female participants, and the facilitator noted that groups with women on the committee asked more probing questions during the investigation.

One participant from Leatherware Sports reflected on what the exercise revealed about gender representation in grievance processes: "We could not have a female member in our grievance redressal committee as we do not have any female representation here. We felt that women's perspective is very important in sexual exploitation or harassment cases. They bring a different insight during investigation. We could observe this in other groups where there was a female committee member, but it was totally missing from the remaining groups where there was no female."

Outcomes and Takeaways

Pre- and post-training assessments documented clear improvements in participants' understanding across key areas. Knowledge of grievance mechanisms increased from 48% before the workshop to 86% after, while understanding of organizational policies reached 100% by the close of the training. Knowledge of how internal policies strengthen a Hired Labour Organization, particularly in terms of transparency, accountability, and active member participation, increased by 23 percentage points, from 73% to 96%.

Several participants noted it was their first structured exposure to policy development and formal grievance processes, yet they reported feeling confident in applying the knowledge back in their organizations. Many highlighted the interactive format as a key reason for this confidence, because the workshop did not just explain HREDD, it asked participants to practice it.

Voices from the Workshop

Next Steps

The workshop is one part of a longer process. Translating what was learned in the room into lasting institutional change, such as adopting new policies, revising existing grievance mechanisms, or integrating the HREDD cycle into organizational planning, requires continued follow-up. Fairtrade NAPP will reach out to each participating organization to check on their progress and offer individualized technical support based on their specific needs.

Through its ECFFPA-funded program, Fairtrade NAPP continues to deepen HREDD implementation across multiple sectors and geographies in the Asia-Pacific region. The sports ball sector in Pakistan is one part of this broader commitment to building producer organizations that are not just Fairtrade certified, but equipped to demonstrate responsible business conduct on every dimension that matters