Advancing women, changing lives

Globally the garment industry is one of the biggest employers of low‐skilled women workers.  Despite their large numbers in the workforce, relatively few female garment workers advance to higher-level positions as they have limited opportunities to acquire the skills that would enable their professional and personal growth.  In response to this need, Gap Inc. initiated the P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) workplace education program to teach women the managerial, interpersonal, organizational and other practical skills needed to move forward in work and in life.

This report summarizes findings from program evaluations conducted by ICRW from 2009 – 2013 at six factory sites where P.A.C.E. was being implemented – two in India and one each in Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.

Research findings from these robust, multi-country evaluations demonstrated that P.A.C.E. is an effective, sustainable and scalable model that yields high returns for women, their families and the businesses where they work.