We live in a world where fashion consumption has increased by 60% between 2000 and 2014 alone, according to McKinsey and Company, who’s mission is to accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth.
The fashion industry is one of the most labour-dependent sectors, where each garment must be handmade along a lengthy supply chain. As a result, millions of garment workers worldwide, mostly women, work in the industry where they face many significant issues such as: poor working conditions, lack of labour rights, low wages and exploitation, as well as gender inequality.
THE RISE OF FAST FASHION
The rise of fast fashion has led to increased pressure on workers to produce clothing rapidly and has increasingly relied on low-cost labour in low-to lower-income countries like Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. This practice, known as “offshoring,” has led to some of the worst human exploitation in the fashion industry.
As an ambassador for re/make – a global advocacy organization fighting for fair pay and climate justice within the clothing industry, I thought it would be a good opportunity this Christmas, to turn our thoughts to the people who make our clothes, and highlight some of the issues around the fashion industry.
ISSUES WITHIN THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Water usage, chemical pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, microplastics, deforestation and non-renewable resource depletion are all issues related to the textiles and fashion industries. Some of the efforts to address these environmental issues in the fashion industry include sustainable sourcing of materials (such as organic cotton and recycled fibres) and implementing eco-friendly production processes. Others include reducing water usage and chemical inputs. Many organisations and brands are also promoting circular fashion initiatives (like recycling and upcycling), advocating for responsible consumer behaviour, and adopting more transparent and ethical supply chains.
I have written about many of these issues in previous articles, however today I would like to focus on the people behind the industry – those that are involved in all aspects of making our clothes, from creating the materials to sewing the final products. We often hear about the implications of the fashion industry on its garment workers, but they’re not the only humans that this industry hurts along its supply chain as there are many others paying the real price for our beloved cheap clothing. In supply chains that rely on animal-derived materials, people are treated as commodities and work in a system that commodifies and slaughters other animals.
Related – WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL FASHION?
Farm workers
To meet consumer demand, farm workers often mutilate animals and send them to their slaughter when they’re no longer producing quality materials. Unfortunately, it’s not just animals who suffer in this scenario, because the mental distress that comes with such violent work is immense.
Dangerous health problems are associated with chemical pesticides used in cotton agriculture. Farmers that are exposed to pesticides at work can experience acute toxicity, which causes respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, seizures and even death. In the long-term, low dose pesticide exposure has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, asthma, mental illness and certain cancers.
In addition, financial hardship caused by corporate control over cotton trade and debt has been widely reported to contribute to India’s farmer suicide epidemic, in addition to rapidly changing weather patterns that leave crops destroyed and farmers uncompensated.
Herders and shearing workers
The people paid to shear and comb extremely distressed sheep, alpacas and goats suffer mental anguish too. Many of these people also suffer as they watch the land they herd their animals on being destroyed because of consumer demand for animal fibres for fashion.
Slaughterhouse workers
If sending animals to slaughter is mentally difficult, imagine being paid to slaughter animals all day, every day. People working in abattoirs often suffer from serious mental health issues and trauma. They are also at high risk of physical injury in the workplace and are poorly treated by large companies underpaying them.
Tannery workers
Leather tanning almost always requires the use of heavy chemicals, which can harm the humans working with them and their communities. Often outsourced to people of colour in poorer countries, the tanning of animal skins is certainly dangerous and unethical work.
Furthermore, when the remnants of these chemicals are discarded, it is often done in local waterways polluting the water, which is often the only source of drinking water for the local communities.
Other environmental issues include Water Pollution, Soil Contamination and Air Pollution.
Indigenous people
Indigenous rights are violated in some fashion supply chains, where industries practise land-grabbing, deforestation and degradation for the sake of some animal-derived and synthetic materials.
Garment workers
The people who spin the yarn, mill the fabric and sew the garments, shoes and accessories we wear are often exploited.
Gender inequality
Women make up the majority of the workforce in the fashion industry, particularly in garment manufacturing. They often face discrimination, lower wages than their male counterparts, and limited opportunities for advancement.
Lack of labour rights
Garment workers, especially in fast fashion factories, face workers’ rights violations regularly, including denial of maternity leave, inadequate sanitation and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Many workers lack proper representation and face challenges in unionizing or advocating for their rights. Unfortunately, women experience many more obstacles in escaping poverty and are often unable to organise and advocate for themselves as a group, either due to cultural norms or strict anti-union policies within the workplace. This lack of representation makes them vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment by their employers.
Poor working conditions
Garment workers, particularly in developing countries where much of the manufacturing occurs, often endure unsafe working environments, long hours, low wages, and lack of job security. Many work in factories that fail to meet basic safety standards, leading to accidents and health issues.
Moreover, there is a real and present threat of death, as shown by devastating accidents like the devastating Tazreen factory fire of 2012, which killed 112 and injured around 150 workers, many of them women. The following year, Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector witnessed another disaster when the Rana Plaza factory building collapsed, killing 1,129 and injuring 2,500 and the recent factory collapse in Casablanca that killed six workers.
Health and safety concerns
These incidents catapulted poor health and safety in fashion workplaces into public consciousness, but deaths from many smaller-scale accidents continue to occur, particularly in low and middle-income countries where supply chain work is concentrated.
Poor health and safety in workplaces potentially affect millions of workers in fashion supply chains, resulting in deaths, injuries and long-term illnesses. Estimates suggest that around 27 million workers in fashion supply chains worldwide are suffering from work-related illnesses and diseases. Workers in various stages of the fashion supply chain, such as dyeing and textile production, are exposed to harmful chemicals and substances that can have long-term health effects.
Injuries can arise from various types of health and safety breaches, such as exposure to and mishandling of hazardous chemicals and substances, poor equipment and inadequate training for operating machinery, factory fires and poor safety procedures, as well as more abstract negative effects such as from working excessive overtime on a long-term basis.
Low wages and exploitation
Employees within the fashion sector, particularly in garment production, frequently receive inadequate wages that fail to meet their fundamental requirements, commonly known as a “living wage.”
Although a universally accepted description or precise monetary value for a living wage remains elusive, the UN Global Compact, outlines a general agreement on its essence. Essentially, a living wage is deemed as compensation that empowers workers and their families to satisfy their basic necessities.
An Oxfam report undertaken in 2019, found that 0% of Bangladeshi and only 1% of Vietnamese garment workers earned a living wage. Undoubtedly, this leaves workers unable to save money to have a safety net while looking for other employment. Women often start their daughters working in the factories as young as ten years old, to help feed their families as one wage is inadequate. Being trapped in this cycle makes women increasingly susceptible to sexual abuse because they can’t risk the loss of income by reporting misconduct, with 1 in 4 Bangladeshi garment workers disclosing some form of abuse to Oxfam in 2019.
Some workers are also subjected to forced labour, child labour, and unpaid overtime.
CHILD LABOUR
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), around 260 million children are employed around the world, 170 million of them are estimated to be engaged in child labour, with many making textiles and garments to satisfy the demand of consumers in Europe, the US, and beyond.
The definition of child labour according to the ILO is:
“Work for which the child is either too young – work done below the required minimum age – or work which, because of its detrimental nature or conditions, is altogether considered unacceptable for children and is prohibited”.
The prohibition of child labour is established by law across numerous countries, yet it persists prevalently in some of the most impoverished regions globally. Presently, this endurance is facilitated by the complexity of the fashion supply chain, making it arduous for companies to oversee every aspect of production. Consequently, this complexity enables employers to exploit child labour without detection by major brands and consumers.
human trafficking and slavery
People who work in clothing factories often do so as a result of human trafficking and simply have no other choice. In southern India alone, over 200,000 girls have been trafficked to work in clothing production. Although it seems crazy to think that in the 21st century, human trafficking and slavery are still such a big issue, they are a reality.
According to Tear Fund, it’s estimated that there are almost 46 million people enslaved around the world today, with 21 million being victims of forced labour.
modern slavery
Slavery did not stop with its abolition in the 19th century. Instead, it has changed its face and continues to target people globally. Modern slavery affects people of all ages, genders, and races, most commonly affecting vulnerable people and communities who lack education and suffer from poverty.
Modern slavery affects people of all ages, genders, and races, most commonly affecting vulnerable people and communities who lack education and suffer from poverty.
Consequently, there are 40 million people living in modern-day slavery around the world, with 16 million being in private sectors such as agriculture, production, and fashion. 58% of these people work in countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan, countries known for their cotton production and garment factories. People are being subjected to toxic chemicals, and hot irons, and are locked inside factories, abused, tortured and worked from dawn until dusk to this day.
In the latest Global Slavery Index report titled “Stitched with Slavery in the Seams,” it was revealed that G20 nations imported goods valued at nearly US$468 billion in 2021, posing a risk of modern slavery. Within this figure, garments contributed US$147.9 billion, while textiles accounted for almost US$13 billion of the total at-risk imports.
conclusion
Offshoring was meant to offer opportunities for women in newly industrialised nations, but the reality remains grim. The fashion industry has perpetuated a system that mirrors colonialism, with profits going to the West and vulnerable workers exploited in developing countries. The global garment industry has failed to deliver on its promises to empower women and reduce poverty. Instead, it has created a cycle of rock-bottom wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions throughout the supply chain.
Solutions For The Fashion Industry
According to re/make’s 2022 Fashion Accountability Report fashion’s old ways are swimming against a powerful undercurrent of systemic change. In particular, there are strong new policies on worker and human rights, transparency, and greenwashing winding their way through legislatures. They report that there has been a surge in corporate action around climate change and a rapid rise in unionization. They are also witnessing seismic changes in geopolitical relations, as well as the rise of increasingly organized sustainable fashion social movements. These changes are helping to redress fashion behind the scenes.
As consumers, there’s also a lot we can do to help the exploitation cycle shift to a more positive approach and a more ethical fashion industry. First of all, start by saying no to fast fashion brands and any company that exploits workers and the planet. Another way is to explore pre-loved options or support brands that prioritise ethical practices.
GoodOnYou has an app you can use to search for specific brands that have been rated based on factors like how they treat their employees, the impact they have on the environment and animals, and more. From contacting brands and demanding greater transparency by asking #WhoMadeMyFabric and #WhoMadeMyClothes, and by asking them to support new laws to sharing campaign materials on social media, there’s a lot we can do to let our voices be heard as citizens.
Re/Make
Re/make is a nonprofit with a mission to get women in the clothing industry paid fairly. It has a fashion directory where you can check out how your favourite brands scored against Remake’s accountability criteria, which was designed primarily to hold large companies accountable for their extensive social and environmental impacts. Smaller businesses are featured in the Brand Directory based on their demonstration of a clear focus on and progress towards one or more of the six material areas within their criteria sheet (Traceability; Wages & Wellbeing; Commercial Practices; Raw Materials; Environmental Justice; and Governance).
Related – SIGN THE #PAYUP PETITION TODAY
Fashion Revolution
Fashion Revolution is an organisation founded back in 2013 and they have since grown to become the world’s largest fashion activism movement, mobilising citizens, brands and policymakers through research, education and advocacy towards a fashion industry that doesn’t exploit the workers in its supply chain. Every year, during Fashion Revolution week (and not only then), you can learn, campaign and donate for all the exploited workers around the world. Start here and get involved now.
The Fashion Revolution have also published a Fashion Transparency Index 2023, which reviews brands’ public disclosure on human rights and environmental issues across 258 indicators in 5 key areas, and is helpful in evaluating whether you want to support them as a customer.
A1 Walk For Freedom
The Walk For Freedom is an outward expression, a global fundraising and awareness campaign, of A21’s inward desire to free every single enslaved person on the planet. A21’s UK office focuses on three primary areas to fight human trafficking in the United Kingdom. They strive to prevent trafficking through education and training programs, protect victims through safe projects, and organise fundraisers to support A21’s global efforts. The organisation follows a strategy that aims to target the vulnerable and disrupt demand, rescue victims, prosecute their captors and equip survivors with the necessary tools to live independently. You can get involved here.
Labour Behind The Label
Labour Behind the Label is a campaign that is dedicated to bettering conditions and empowering workers in the global garment industry. The organisation’s main goal is to eradicate poverty in the fashion industry and ensure that every worker is entitled to a living wage and a safe working environment. LBTL strive to raise public awareness and encourage collective action from consumers to drive change in the industry, by pressuring companies to take responsibility for their worker’s rights throughout their supply chains and collaborate with trade unions to amplify garment workers’ demands. You can get involved here.
BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
When looking at ethical brands to buy from, we all must look at their supply chain practices and certifications. As a conscious consumer myself, I’ve put together a small list of brands that are either certified B Corporations or Fair Trade Certified, so that you can be sure to be purchasing fashion that does good for the environment and the people in it. If you didn’t know that already, the B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: a positive impact on their employees, communities, and the environment. Learn more about this topic in my previous article here.
Related – B Corp Brands
Happy Earth Apparel
Happy Earth Apparel is a loungewear brand committed to the most sustainable practices available. They don’t use polyester in their loungewear, but only organic cotton that is consciously farmed without any chemical pesticides or fertilisers, and it’s regularly watered by rainfall.
Furthermore, 95% of their products are made in Fair Trade-certified factories, and they make sure that all of their suppliers uphold workers’ rights and abide by Happy Earth’s rigid Code of Conduct based on principles from the International Labour Organisation. The brand is also fully cruelty-free and on top of that, they only low-energy options like organic cotton, sea shipping, and lightweight packaging; working closely with manufacturers that share these goals.
Yes And
Yes And is another US-based womenswear and menswear label to fall in love with! The brand certifies its organic cotton products through the Global Organic Textile Standard, which evaluates the entire supply chain and only uses inks that are free of harmful chemicals. That means no chlorine bleach, acetone, formaldehyde, or heavy metals!
They are truly committed to paying fair wages, empowering female farmers, sustaining their local communities, and having no child labour in their factories.
Article22
Every piece of Article22 jewellery is locally handcrafted in Laos using recycled materials from Vietnam War bombs, plane parts, military hardware, and other aluminium scraps. The brand embodies the innovation that the fashion industry needs more of—using recycled materials to produce beautiful globally marketable products while equipping local artisans with new skill sets and providing them with a sustainable source of income. ARTICLE22 gives back to clear more unexploded bombs in Laos, supports traditional artisans, and donates a proportion of profit to community development for workers.
Outland Denim
Outland Denim makes premium denim jeans and clothes and offers employment opportunities for women rescued from human trafficking in Cambodia. This Australian brand was founded as an avenue for the training and employment of women who have experienced sex trafficking.
Conscious Step
Conscious Step creates premium fair trade, organic, vegan socks and clothes which support great charities.
The US brand is committed to lasting social and environmental change and every step it takes in its production process supports farms and factories with fair wages, safe facilities, and lower-impact materials.
You can shop by “cause”, and support a whole host of charities and organisations from beating childhood cancer to protecting national parks.
Santicler
Santicler’s mission is to provide minimalistic fashion enthusiasts with an alternative to what’s currently available in the market. Their privately-owned factories, which are located across the Transylvania region of Romania, instead of manufacturing large quantities and selling only a portion, produce and fulfil small run orders based on specific demand, eliminating excess and waste.
As a member of the European Union, Romania has strict labour laws that demand protected labour conditions, and impose a minimum wage and full benefits for all employees. The brand’s management team visits the facilities a minimum of three times a year and conducts audits to ensure that fair pay, health insurance, parental leave, regulated working hours and child labour bans are all in place in their affiliate factories.
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