Dear friends of FEMNET,

We need strong public statements to change the fashion industry! In the summer we have been able to make some waves successfully: FEMNET’s advice at the Öko-Test Jeanstest and the Bonn action day ‘Better living without Primark’ provided a broad media coverage. In autumn, we will be hosting an extensive programme of events for the Fair Week, this year focusing on ‘gender justice’. Do you still need speakers? Or the FEMNET poster exhibition as an effective eye-catcher? Feel free to contact us! By the way: Preparations for the FEMNET Speakers Tour in mid-September are also in full swing...

Wishing you an interesting read

The FEMNET team

Green button: How strict are the criteria?

As a new state meta-seal for eco-socially produced clothing, the ‘Green Button’ is intended to give consumers more orientation in the cash jungle in the future. The pilot phase is scheduled to start in September 2019. However, FEMNET and the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) warn against misleading statements: The label suggests a completely fair and sustainable product through its addition ‘social & ecological – state-certified’. However, it does not cover the entire supply chain, but initially only refers to clothing and wet processes (washing, dyeing). This means that the often bad working conditions, for example in cotton cultivation or in spinning mills, are not checked. However, this is not made clear to consumers.

Further assessments of the ‘Green Button’...

Roadmaps of the textile alliance members not meaningful enough

The civil society organisations in the Textile Alliance criticise the roadmaps and progress reports of the member companies in the alliance. In its current form, these are not meaningful and poorly comparable. The roadmaps also showed that many companies are still at the very beginning when it comes to living wages. Measures against discrimination against women are also being sought in vain. In addition, better working conditions in supply chains could be achieved if companies cooperate more frequently in alliance initiatives on specific topics.

In August, the Textile Alliance published roadmaps and progress reports of its members. In it, they show what measures they want to take in the field of human rights and ecology in textile production for the next year and whether planned measures were implemented in the previous year.

To the press release of 13.8.2019...

This is what the FEMNET roadmap for 2019 looks like...

200-300 people demonstrated in front of the new Primark. © FEMNET

‘Live better without Primark!’ Successful action day in Bonn

On August 13, Primark opened the 30th. Branch in Germany, centrally located at the main station of the Fair Trade city of Bonn. At the opening, a broad alliance of more than 20 Bonn initiatives and organizations and hundreds of supporters formed: They called for more sustainable urban development and a halt to mass consumption at the expense of people and the environment. The full-day action programme included a colourful mix of protest, flash mobs, talks and a large open-air change of clothes – right outside the doors of the fashion discounter.

Action report with photos and media echo...

Interested in creative protest? At the FEMNET Street Theatre Workshop There are still places available on October 25-26!

The consumer magazine included social criteria in the evaluation. © Eco-Test

FEMNET supports Öko-Test in the evaluation of women's jeans

The overall result of the test is sobering: None of the jeans tested are rated as good, including those of Armedangels and Hess Natur, although these two receive a ‘very good’ score in the interim ‘credibility and transparency’ result; She is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation. Aniline was found in her jeans. The consumer magazine tested 21 jeans for residues in the laboratory. In order to learn more about the social production conditions and problems in the supply chain, FEMNET's consumer magazine was consulted on the development of the questionnaire to the companies and the evaluation of the answers.

FEMNET's opinion on the test...

Textile workers told us about experiences of violence in factories. © FEMNET

Photo travel report: Partner visits to India and Bangladesh

Gisela Burckhardt and Johanna Hergt from FEMNET visited our partners at the beginning of 2019 – and convinced themselves of the progress of the joint projects. We visited textile factories, discussed problems with trade unionists and talked to workers. The situation of women in the textile industry remains precarious: Low wages, overtime and sexual harassment are bitter everyday life.

Impressions from India and Bangladesh: Click here for the series of pictures...

Exhibition Allianz Fairhandeln Aachen. © Heiner Grysar

‘I'll make your clothes!’ touring exhibition ends, poster sales continue

To the 100,000 people at more than 100 exhibition venues: The strong women have inspired thousands to deal with the manufacturing conditions of clothing. We are very pleased with the overwhelming response of the last four years. Since 2015, the exhibition ‘I make your clothes! The strong women from Southeast Asia’ has been on tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The highlight and conclusion of the travelling exhibition was the presentation of the strong women in the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne as part of the special exhibition ‘Fast Fashion’. In poster format, you can still order the exhibition from FEMNET for 25€ (plus shipping/processing).

Our review of the exhibition...

German workwear is also produced in Tunisian factories. © FEMNET

Good work fairTie up! Speakers Tour with Southern Guests from Tunisia

A textile worker and an activist from Tunisia accepted our invitation to Germany. From the 12th - 19 September 2019 they inform about the situation in Tunisian factories where workwear is produced. Learn first-hand and in personal reports about women's struggle for dignified and just working conditions. Her appeal is aimed in particular at local procurers to pay attention to human rights when shopping.

As part of Fair Week 2019, the Speakers Tour will focus on gender equality in Bonn, Bruchsal, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Mannheim and Veitsbronn.

Information about the tour and the speakers...

Handing over the cheque to Dr. Gisela Burckhardt. © Ev. Church of Kerpen

Remarkable commitment of Kerpen parishioners to FEMNET

'Experience community' is the leitmotif of Ev. Church of Kerpen. And impressively this became visible in favor of FEMNET with a great fundraising campaign. The annual flea market organized by the city of Kerpen is traditionally accompanied by the parish with a flea market café, where committed parishioners achieved the considerable sum of € 2,372.39. Thank you for the great support from Ev. Kerpen municipality, which with this effective action has set a sign of solidarity with the textile workers of the global South!

You want to organize a fundraiser for FEMNET yourself? We are happy to support you!

Welcome to FEMNET, Johannes Norpoth!

Johannes Norpoth has been working as the coordinator of civil society in the Textile Alliance since June 2019. It bundles the interests of NGOs, makes their assessments audible to the public, gathers scientific expertise - and thus strengthens their position, for example, vis-à-vis representatives of the economy.

How did you come up with fair clothing?

My first point of contact was the detox campaign, which I supported with actions as a volunteer. In 2015-2019, I worked as a research associate on a research project on working standards in the garment industry in Bangladesh and Cambodia. I was particularly fascinated by the work on the Bangladesh Accord and the impact of this agreement on the ground.

What motivates you?

Enjoy political discourse and the prospect of bringing about changes in this country that pay off for workers in the producing countries of the global textile industry.

Welcome to the team!

04.09.2019: FairQuatschen (Bonn) open FEMNET action meeting.

05.09.2019: Conference on Sustainable Procurement in the West (Dortmund) with a workshop by FEMNET on approaches to the procurement of sustainably produced workwear. For more information: sustainable-bekauf.de

11.09.2019: New markets – new opportunities? Women in the textile industry of Ethiopia and Myanmar (Gießen) FEMNET lecture on new production sites in the textile industry and the labour law situation of women.

12.-19.09.2019: Speakers Tour "Good work" fairbindet’ (Bonn, Bruchsal, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Mannheim, Veitsbronn) Presentation trip on working conditions in the workwear industry: An activist and a seamstress from Tunisia report on their experiences in cooperation with FEMNET. Program and background: www.femnet.de/berufsbekleidung

15.09.2019: Day of Good Life (Cologne) with a cozy world-living room and talks on gender justice with the Allerweltshaus Cologne, FEMNET and Fairtrade.

23.09.2019: Women in the Fashion Industry: Of Fashion and Power, Bodies and Capitalism (Bonn) Panel discussion on the impact of fashion (industry) on women, the impact of the new ILO Convention against Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace on governments and the actions of businesses. With Tansy Hoskins (UK journalist and author), Lavinia Muth (Armed Angels), Gisela Burckhardt (FEMNET) and Dr. Christina Stockfisch (DGB).

27.-28.09.2019: Intensive training on fair public procurement for consulting and lobbying, lateral entry possible.

28.09.2019: All around Fair (Bonn) Action programme on Bonn's Münsterplatz with fair breakfast, fair fashion show and many Bonn initiatives.

29.09.2019: Change of clothes (Bonn) Organized by FairQuatschen and Greenpeace Bonn.

11.10.2019: Conference on the Green Button (Bonn) for lecturers from universities and for FEMNET speakers.

25.-26.10.2019: Street theatre workshop (Bonn) Together we develop a performance on the working conditions of women in the textile industry in the Global South and corporate responsibility in the Global North and bring the topic to the streets. Participation free of charge, registration required.

25.-26.10.2019: Training in fair public procurement (Cologne) Multipliers for advocacy and advocacy. Prior knowledge desired, lateral entry possible.

Our work convinces you? We look forward to your support!

30.06.2019: ‘Socially and environmentally friendly clothing: great interest in the Green Button’ Statement by Gisela Burckhardt. In: Taz

01.07.2019: "OECD Review of the Textile Alliance - Opportunity for Improvement" with assessments by FEMNET, inter alia, in: News today

01.07.2019: ‘Textile seal: green button delayed’ Statement by Gisela Burckhardt. In: Frankfurter Rundschau

04.07.2019: ‘Fashion - a question of conscience?’ Interview with Gisela Burckhardt. In: MDR Culture

05.07.2019: "Together to advance fair procurement in North Rhine-Westphalia" Report on the network initiative with FEMNET practice forum. In: finanzen.net

24.07.2019: ‘Women’s jeans under test: Levis, Diesel and Co produce so fairly.’ FEMNET advised the consumer magazine on the evaluation of working conditions in jeans production. In: ECO-TEST

About the jeans test reported, among other things. Vogue, Textile Economy, Hanoverian general, Leipziger Volkszeitung and other media.

15.08.2019: "Fabric Alliance: CSOs criticise roadmaps" with assessments by FEMNET, inter alia, in: Fashion United

13.08.2019: "Primark opening in Bonn accompanied by protest" with photo show and FEMNET statement in the video to the article. In: General-Anzeiger Bonn

13.08.2019: "Primark opening protests in Bonn" with video with FEMNET statement and action impressions. In: WDR Current, WDR Current Hour, WDR Local Time. Radio contributions in WDR 5 and WDR Cosmo.

17.08.2019: ‘All against Primark?’ Podcast with statements from FEMNET. In: Media workshop Bonn

www.modefairarbeiten.de