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The fearless former nun fighting for India's seamstresses

When Thivya Rakini was 10 years old she went on hunger strike to get a better education. She's now making history fighting for the rights of garment factory workers in Tamil Nadu.

From convent to marriage to factory floor, Thivya Rakini will stand up for herself, and you. From an early age she's fought for what's right. As a child living in Tamil Nadu, she stopped eating so her parents would send her to the school of her choice. She left behind life in a convent, then a marriage, and defied expectations as a working single mother. She鈥檚 now the leader of a union advocating for seamstresses making fast fashion for international chain stores and has negotiated an historic deal.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: June Christie

(Photo: Thiyva Rakini. Credit: Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union)

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41 minutes

Last on

Tue 14 Feb 2023 03:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 13 Feb 2023 12:06GMT
  • Mon 13 Feb 2023 18:06GMT
  • Mon 13 Feb 2023 23:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Feb 2023 00:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Feb 2023 03:06GMT

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