The objective of the project is to increase use of formal and informal mechanisms by field workers and their families in the dominican sugar sector to improve their working and living conditions

The Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs awarded a $6 million cooperative agreement to Impactt Limited under the International Labor Programs (CFDA 17.401) federal grant program. The objective is to increase the use of formal and informal mechanisms by sugar sector field workers and their families in the Dominican Republic to improve working and living conditions from December 2022 through December 2026. Impactt will build the capacity of workers, community-based organizations, government, and sugar companies to address systemic forced labor risks. The organization will support existing community programming addressing vulnerabilities like statelessness and remediate working and living conditions. Impactt will also develop a social dialogue mechanism and worker and community-based grievance process to improve communication between relevant stakeholders on viable solutions regarding the workers' situations.

This US$ 3,000,000 effort will last 36 months and work in the provinces of barahona, SAN cristobal, SAN pedro DE macoris, hato mayor, EL seibo, LA romana and LA altagracia. Activities performed impactt proposes a program structure that will build the capacity of workers, CBO's, government and sugar companies to address areas of systemic risk for forced labor. The project will support for existing CBO programming to address workers vulnerability (such as statelessness), and remediate workers working and living conditions. Impactt proposes developing a social dialogue mechanism that will include the organizations that provide crucial services to workers in the bateyes, sugar sector companies and government representatives. This platform will enable workers' concerns to be reflected and channeled into the process of determining viable solutions regarding their living and work situations. The project will also build a worker and community-based grievance mechanism, aimed at bridging the GAP of worker and organizations' needs, and industry actions. Deliverables outcome 1: strengthened networks among workers, their communities, and civil society advocates that facilitate trust and participation in mechanisms to improve working and living conditions. Outcome 2. Increased availability of local resources and capacity to use and sustain mechanisms for improving working and living conditions intended beneficiary the men and women living in the bateyes and cutting cane in the sugar plantations subrecipient activities NA