Do your fave brands and labels really pay the people who actually make their garments a living wage?
Find out with Fashion Checker!
Brands in the fashion industry put millions into advertising themselves as ethical and sustainable, making plenty of claims about paying their workers a living wage. Fashion Checker shows how far from the truth this actually is, giving consumers and garment workers access to real data from the supply chains of the worlds’ biggest brands.
How is this fair? The garment worker, who actually puts in the hard work and demanding labour to make the items, is paid the least amount – this is deplorable!
What is a living wage? A living wage is recognized by the United Nations as a human right. It is defined as a wage that is sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for a worker and their family.
Living Wages should be earned in a standard work-week of no more than 48 hours, and must include enough to pay for food, water, housing, education, health care, transportation, clothing as well as discretionary earnings, including savings for unexpected events. (learn more about living wages for garment workers here)
The garment sector = gendered work: The further down the supply chain you go, the more precarious the work; the lower the pay, the greater the share of women workers. Employers are able to take advantage of cultural stereotypes that depict women as passive, flexible, and less likely to challenge management. Women are typically paid less than men because their income is seen as complimentary to those of male breadwinners. However, in reality, women workers are often the sole income providers for the household. This form of inequality is most clearly observed in the difference between men’s and women’s wages, often referred to as the ‘gender pay gap’. Women are often paid less than men in the clothing industry, even if they do the exact same tasks.
This is an absolutely horrifying fact that includes cheap, fast fashion brands and high end, designer labels alike.
Brands need to do more to change the power dynamic in the garment industry. Workers should not have to fight for basic human rights in 2020. It’s time to demand change. (find out what needs to be done and make your voice heard right here!)
Discover the truth behind the brands with Fashion Checker!
Disclaimer: I am not at all an expert on the big business of fast fashion however I am a concerned consumer who has chosen to learn & share as much as I can through my own personal experiences & the wealth of resources available online.
My ambition to inform & influence others to step away from unethically (& immorally) produced products is the driving force that motivates me to continue providing fabulous free eco-fashion/accessory/décor tutorials, ethical outfit inspiration and helpful thrifting tips on my Confessions of a Refashionista as well as contributing & sharing my creative skills throughout the online maker world.
Find all of my ethical fashion articles here then check out my E-courses right over here:
and transform your entire wardrobe for pennies with my groovy CoaR tutorial E-book collections right here:
