"We carry the stories of the women who make our clothes,” quoted Livia Firth in an interview with Ella Woodward. Stop for a moment. Consider the story behind the clothes you are wearing. Who made them? Chances are, it was a woman. How much did she get paid? Chances are, not much.
Women make up approximately 80% of the garment industry’s workforce and most of them are exploited for their low income labour. In 2019, reports from Oxfam shockingly revealed that 0% of the garment workers in Bangladesh earned the living wage and in Vietnam corresponding statistic was 1%. This can be regarded as nothing other than modern day slavery. These women are providing slave labour for fast fashion.
The issue is not solely economic, the general mistreatment of these women is beyond unethical. Within many of these factories, health and safety standards are practically non-existent. There have been reports of women repeatedly suffering from bladder infections due to their long hours and limited toilet breaks. Additionally, 1 in 3 female workers claim that they have experienced sexual harassment or abuse in the past year. In 2020, these are things that no women should have to endure in the workplace.
Consumer demand is what drives this and therefore, the consumer has the power to prevent it. Fashion can be feminist. It can allow these women to earn their own wage and become integrated within the economy – it can be used to empower them. And we can make this happen. These fast fashion brands rely on our demand and if we demand the moral treatment of workers and refuse to shop with a company unless this is met, inevitably change will come.
Since The Equality Act was amended to protect workers from discrimination and to tackle the gender pay gap in the UK, we have experienced a momentous shift in women’s rights in the workplace. Therefore, surely, we have a duty to form an alliance with these women, and in doing so, we will strive towards a more feminist high street. The dubious morality of fast fashion has been questioned and side-lined for too many years; it is time for change.
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