Allison Stroman - July 11 marks World Population Day, a dedicated day to learn, discuss, and act on urgent population issues. The United Nations Development Programme codified the internationally recognized day in 1989. Each year a theme is selected with this year’s theme being “To Leave No One Behind, Count Everyone”. The United Nations Secretary General Antóntio Guterres provided a statement on this year’s World population day that emphasized the importance of recognizing everyone in population statistics and data:
“As the theme of this year’s World Population Day reminds us, investing in data collection is important to understanding problems, tailoring solutions, and driving progress. So is finance. I urge countries to make the most of the Summit of the Future this year to unleash affordable capital for sustainable development.”
Despite improvements in gathering population data, people are still going unrecognized which “profoundly affect[s] their lives and well-being”. Without data, catered solutions to improve population issues like maternal death rates, reproductive health care, and living and working conditions cannot effectively help people. In the words of the United Nations, “When data and other systems work for those on the margins, they work for everyone. This is how we accelerate progress for all.”
At the core of World Population Day actions sits the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In a statement for World Population Day, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem underscored the Day’s theme stating, “To go uncounted is to be made invisible and, as a result, left unserved.” Dr. Kanem’s statements are further backed with UNFPA research that illuminates a startling growth in inequalities that leave “women from racial and ethnic minority groups…nearly invisible in statistics tracking maternal deaths” which means their needs go uncared for in health services. There is hope, though: “People may be hard to reach, but no one is unreachable.”
In employing millions with the majority being women, the fashion industry can play a substantial role in improving or worsening economic and health conditions for women around the world:
“Given its size and global reach, unsustainable practices within the fashion sector have important impacts on social and environmental development indicators. Without major change to production processes and consumption patterns in fashion, the social and environmental costs of the sector will continue to mount.”
According to Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, informal workers in the garment and textile industries make up a large and yet invisible workforce. Many of these women work in their homes to keep up with the demands raising a family and keeping a home place on their shoulders. This means that these women are paying production costs for pennies in return with little to no ability to negotiate the “terms and conditions of their work.” With the drastic and continuous rise in consumption and in brands need for new pieces, factories are looking for cheap, frequently unethical, sources of employment to maintain their production cycle: “Competition at the top of the chain and a race to the bottom on price affect those at the very bottom of the chain most negatively.” Furthermore, without the applicable safety procedures, garment workers working at home are subjected to increased risks including “repetitive strain, dust from cloth pieces and, in the case of some dyes, exposure to poisonous chemicals” which can also impact the other people living with them. With so many women in dire conditions not being recognized, change must come, and it must come swiftly. These women must gain recognition and support to improve their health and quality of life.
Actions to improve these conditions and shift the industry towards safe and livable conditions for all its workers range from signing petitions to researching where we buy our clothes or supporting legal actions on a national and international level. Corporations, organizations, and governments have an important part to play in instating mandatory procedures, reducing the lifelong impacts on workers at all points in the production cycle, and increasing their transparency.
In the United States, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Carolyn Maloney, both of New York, introduced The Fashion Accountability and Building Real Institutional Change (FABRIC) Act: “The FABRIC Act proposes major new workplace protections and manufacturing incentives to cement the US as the global leader in responsible apparel production.” There are three main problems the Act aims to tackle head-on: workforce exploitation, outsourcing labor to other countries, workers growing older, and manufacturers needing investments for machinery and development. In amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, The FABRIC Act would create a national registry for the garment industry through the Department of Labor to improve transparency and punish those manufacturers and contractors with a pattern of exploitation. Additionally, brands and retailers would have to answer for their manufacturer’s actions which will “incentivize responsible production, starting at the top.” For the workers, The FABRIC Act would set an hourly pay rate that, at a minimum, matches minimum wage and eliminates piece rate pay. Additionally, a “$40 million Domestic Garment Manufacturing Support Program” would provide grants to manufacturers and contractors for “equipment costs, safety improvements, and training and workforce development.” This program would include nonprofits who do training for garment workers. A further incentive to bring production under this Act in the US comes in a “30 % reshoring tax credit”.
In documents from the United States Congress, The FABRIC Act’s purpose comes through:
The FABRIC Act would establish the Office of the Garment Industry in the Department of Labor with an Undersecretary of the Garment Industry, appointed by the Secretary of Labor. This Undersecretary would oversee the registry, enforcement, and grants.
On an international level, the United Nations has multiple efforts to improve the fashion industry and support workers, brands, and consumers. One such effort is the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network which includes the Fashion Impact Fund. The Fashion Impact Fund is a program supporting training programs for women with a focus on fashion skills. The Fashion Impact Fund holds seven commitments: fashion education and job training for women, increase economic stability and independence, improve gender equality, support fair and ethical job opportunities, combat gender-based discrimination and violence, combat poverty, and create a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.
For consumers, skilled researchers work to create software to effectively assess and provide data on the ethics and social impacts in the garment industry. The Ethical Apparel Index (EAI) is one such project. The EAI executes research for a “transparency mechanism” that will “reward stakeholders who uphold conscientious practices”. This reward comes from “many consumer segments, especially younger consumers, [that] are eager to support producers who respect human rights in apparel production”. Through easily accessed data, consumers can determine which brands they chose to support based on their personal values around sustainability and ethical practices. This provides an incentive for brands to amend their practices.
On a global scale, the United Nations provides a platform for reforming the industry through the Fashion Impact Fund, a program supporting training programs in fashion skills for women. The Fund aims to increase women’s financial independence and fight poverty, gender-based violence, and discrimination. Through working towards these goals and supporting women-led fashion businesses, the Fashion Impact Fund aims to positively impact the fashion industry. They hold seven commitments: fashion education and job training for women, increase economic stability and independence, improve gender equality, support fair and ethical job opportunities, combat gender-based discrimination and violence, combat poverty, and create a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.
There are multiple strategies for consumers when it comes to moving the fashion industry in an ethical, sustainable, and improved direction. In terms of brands that use unethical procedures or have poor labor conditions, consumers can purchase from “businesses which guarantee non-exploitation of its garment workers and boycott…businesses using exploitative measures”. Furthermore, consumers can prioritize “buying better quality clothing less often, pledging to re-wear outfits in our wardrobe, and trying to purchase secondhand on resale platforms before buying firsthand” while learning about the environmental and social impacts associated with shopping habits and the fashion industry. With access to social media, consumers can use what they learn about the fashion industry to focus on “raising awareness about the fast fashion industry, to encourage customers and consumers to make smarter purchasing decisions”. Finally, consumers can learn more about “upcycling, thrifting clothes and buying only natural fabrics” to improve their environmental impact.
When it comes to secondhand shopping, Repurpose Wardrobe has a curated collection of designer pieces. Through selling these pieces, Repurpose provides job readiness training and personal development to the next generation of the fashion and design industries in The RENEW Program. Led by Alexi Mortenson and Jessie Freschl, RENEW aims to equip interns with skills, experiences, networking opportunities, and confidence in their abilities. The skills learned in the RENEW program prepare trainees to secure strong first jobs in the fashion and design industries. At RENEW’s core is collaboration and an environment where people from all backgrounds receive encouragement and the necessary tools to learn, grow, and succeed. As trainees across six industry paths work together, the program fosters the constant and authentic exchange of unique ideas and experiences. Learning through mentorship and meaningful collaboration, trainees gain hands-on experience and expert insights into the intersection between sustainable practices and the fashion and design industries. If you would like to learn more or get involved in our mission, contact us here.