Did you know that almost three quarters of the world’s clothing exports are made in developing countries? In Bangladesh, 80% of the economy is dependent on the fashion industry- however, the majority of the country’s garment workers still receive less than half of our minimum wage, even though the price of basic necessities, such as food, continues to rise in their country. Garment workers in all countries work strenuous hours, usually going for whole days without breaks. They suffer verbal and physical abuse at the hands of their supervisors, and even so are never quite sure about the security of their job.
Many of today’s most popular fashion brands and designers claim to be humanitarians, donating millions of dollars a year to various charities and constantly holding fundraisers, among other acts of giving. That being said, how do they ethically stand for the poor treatment of the individuals actually making the products that bear their brand name?
While there has been a recent rise in globally aware companies such as fashion label Edun, who just showed a collection at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week, the demand for companies who support proper work ethics and payment for their overseas workers needs to increase dramatically.
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