How to go towards a more responsible fashion? Rana Plaza
On April 24, 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh took place. This deadly event has sadly become a symbol of the abuses of fast fashion.
Why? It revealed the deplorable conditions in which the workers of these factories work, the latter supplying various international clothing brands such as Mango, Carrefour, Primark etc.
While cracks in the building had already been reported the day before by workers and an evacuation had been requested, they were still forced to work. The collapse of this building caused the death of more than 1130 people.
8 years later, what has really changed?
Since this event, associations have sought justice for the victims of this tragedy by asking for compensation from the owners of these workshops, among others.
But, while fashion companies, even French, were supplied by factories like Rana Plaza, they were not legally condemnable for the actions of their subsidiaries or subcontractors.
6 months after the collapse, in November 2013, a law was proposed to the National Assembly on the "duty of care of parent companies and ordering companies". It is finally 4 years later, on March 27, 2017 that the law was voted.
The Fashion Week Revolution
In Bangladesh, workers continue to demonstrate and strike to demand better wages and conditions, but struggle to be heard and get what they want.
It is after this drama that the collective "Fashion Revolution" was born by Carry Somers, pioneer of ethical fashion in England. This movement advocates a more socially and ecologically responsible fashion, and aims to inform, alert and encourage consumers to demand transparency to know what is behind the label of their clothes. Hence the slogan "Who made my clothes?".
This movement acts by doing research, proposing educational content, collaborating with countries or companies, mobilizing and acting, demanding more transparency and respect for workers' rights.
Especially during the week called "Fashion Revolution Week" (around the 24th of April (this year from the 19th to the 25th)) there will be lives, events, operations on social networks, educational courses on all the topics around the textile industry, human rights, eco-responsibility etc... It is a very important week, and even more so this year when we know the impact the pandemic has had on workers in the textile industry.
And even if there is still a long way to go, we can each at our level act by choosing to boycott such or such brand if we judge that it is not in agreement with the values we wish to defend and what is important to us. Because buying is voting!
At Elia, since we are convinced that the economy should not jeopardize the respect of human rights and the health of the workers, we choose to produce as close as possible to your home, in France, as well as to rely on certifications: discover all our menstrual panties!
On the same subject : Why do sanitary protections pollute ?
To know more about it :
The True Cost
Arte - The underbelly of low cost fashion
https://www.fashionrevolution.org
Sources :
Leave a comment