Fashion has been one of the biggest industries to capitalize on globalization. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, we also become more and more detached from the people who make our clothing—and the conditions under which they work—as a result of production moving to the Global South.
In order to highlight the human factor of the fashion industry, I chose a shirt from my closet, traced (as best as I could) its production path, and mapped the company's supply chain along with data on global workers' rights. The brand, Lululemon, prides itself on sustainability and social justice, but are their labor practices really that responsible?
The resulting project has 3 main features:
Every year, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) ranks countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ based on their degree of respect for workers rights. This number, called the ITUC Global Rights Index, is calculated in four steps.
The ITUC sends out a questionnaire to 325 national unions in 161 countries asking them to report violations of workers’ rights.
Survey nformation is summarized, consolidated, and published on the ITUC website.
A country receives a point for each time survey information corresponds to one of 97 indicators from ILO's Conventions representing violations of workers’ rights. Points are added up into a total score.
The final country score determines which rating a country will get. There are 5 ratings with 1 being the best and 5 being the worst.
Uncovering the exact production path of my shirt was, at times, frustratingly difficult. The only part of the supply chain I was sure about was the intermediate processing facility, since I bought the shirt from where it was printed. The materials and finishing factories were my best guesses based on where Lululemon sources most of their fabric and the tag declaring "Made in Cambodia."
Whether intentional or not, many brands lack transparency when it comes to their supply chains. This makes it challenging for us to know if the clothes we own were made under safe and ethical work environments. Fashion companies therefore have a responsibility to not only be open about the locations and conditions of their facilities, but to also respect and protect their workers' rights.
Want to be more informed about the 'where' of your wardrobe?
TRACE YOUR CLOTHES