FEMNET Newsletter No. 10 - April 2015 Good day, for two years, we can continue our educational project ‘FairSchnitt: Supporting fashion universities in increasing the integration of sustainable teaching content in the curriculum’ at the fashion universities with new priorities, as the funding was approved by the BMZ and the Foundation for Environment and Development. This, in turn, is only possible through the donations of you, our supporters, whereby we can raise our own share of these projects. We would like to thank you very much for this! This also allows us to improve the public relations of the project. In addition, we will have a management board for the first time from May, which will relieve the volunteers. However, we have also made more plans for this year: We are part of the textile alliance of the BMZ, support urgent actions of the campaign for clean clothing as now on the 2nd anniversary of Rana Plaza and have started a project (creation of crèches in selected clothing factories in India) with the new partner Cividep in India. We will keep you informed and thank you for your active support. Warm greetings Your FEMNET team contents: 1. Our campaign work within the framework of CCC and Cora Second anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza (Bangladesh) German factory owner lays off workers – BEO case (Bangladesh) Survivors of Ali Enterprise fire demand adequate compensation from KiK (Paktistan) Survivors from Pakistan sue KiK in German courts Hugo BOSS campaign Eastern Europe/Turkey Expectations for the Federal Government and the EU for a human rights-oriented trade policy 2. Reports from our partners from Bangladesh and India NGWF demonstration on March 8 in Bangladesh Bangladesh: Protests after factory closures New FEMNET cooperation project with CIVIDEP in India 3. Work of our educational project FairSchnitt Femme5 fair Conference Documentation "Slow Fashion – Fast Fashion" Uses of the FairSchnitt multipliers 4. More activities by FEMNET FEMNET regulars' table in Bonn FEMNET regulars' table in Berlin FEMNET in the media appointments Disclaimer 1. Our campaign work within the framework of CCC and Cora Second anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza (Bangladesh) On April 24, 2015, the tragedy of the collapse of the Rana Plaza building with 5 factories will be celebrated for the second time. The survivors and injured are still waiting for long-term compensation, some German companies such as NKD and Adler have not yet paid any payments into the compensation fund headed by the International Labour Organization (ILO). After all: Over 1 million people signed a call to Benetton and the pressure has worked: Benetton is finally paying! Our partner organization NGWF has also pointed out the lack of compensation amounts with a demonstration. The Benetton campaign of the international CCC: Payup! German factory owner lays off workers – BEO case (Bangladesh) In Bangladesh, 48 workers from the BEO factory - German-owned and producer for Lidl - were laid off in September 2014 because they had filed a complaint with the supervision of the Building and Fire Protection Agreement (Accord) due to safety problems in the factory. Read more... Pakistan: Survivors of the Ali Enterprise fire on 11 September 2012 demand adequate compensation from KiK Two and a half years ago, Shahida Parveen's husband died in the devastating fire at the Ali Enterprises textile factory in Karachi, Pakistan. At that time, 254 people were killed and 55 people were injured. Emergency exits were missing, windows were barred. The factory mainly produced clothing for the German discounter KiK. So far, KiK has only received a first compensation of $1 million. to the victims but refuses to compensate the victims adequately in the long term. That's why the widow of Shahida Parveens launched an online petition on March 4, 2015, addressed to Heinz Speet, Managing Director of KiK. Please support this petition... Survivors from Pakistan sue KiK in German courts Four people affected by the fire at Ali Enterprise have filed a claim for damages against KiK at the Dortmund Regional Court, supported by the German NGO ECCHR. They call for: Justice instead of alms. Liability instead of voluntariness. The case against KiK should make it clear: Transnational companies are also responsible for the working conditions in their subsidiaries and suppliers abroad. Background information on this lawsuit... Hugo BOSS campaign Eastern Europe/Turkey Expensive is not equally fair. Made in Europe – and therefore fair? With street actions and online protests, activists of the Campaign for Clean Clothes (CCC) have called on HUGO BOSS to pay fair wages to its seamstresses and not to further deny them their right to freedom of organization. In the report: ‘Abandoned’ Facts about low wages at BOSS producers in Eastern Europe and Turkey are provided. The campaign ‘A real BOSS pays living wages’ is currently underway. Read more... Expectations for the Federal Government and the EU for a human rights-oriented trade policy If the large textile companies do not join a voluntary alliance by June 2015, a template for a legal regulation is to be drawn up by the Federal Government by the end of 2015. This law should include mandatory human rights due diligence along the entire value chain, including sanctions for companies for violations, as suggested by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. At EU level, the Federal Government, together with other states, should promote a trade policy oriented towards human rights. FEMNET was actively involved in the opinion. Read more... ARD Europamagazin 29.3.2015 (Interview FEMNET) 2. Reports from our partners from Bangladesh and India NGWF demonstration on March 8 in Bangladesh On the occasion of International Women's Day on 8 March, our partner organisation, the NGWF trade union, protested against the fact that there are two maternity protection regulations in Bangladesh: 6 months for state employees, but only 4 months for the seamstresses in factories. Bangladesh: Protests after factory closures More and more frequent action is being taken against whistleblowers. On March 21, 2015, our partner organization NGWF organized a demonstration in front of the building of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to protest against the closures of 5 factories. Trade union factory committees have been set up in the last few months in the 5 factories, all of which belong to the BGMEA. However, they could not prevent the illegal closures. It is even assumed that the closures are related to trade union activities and should serve to dismantle the committees. The workers did not receive any compensation, nor have they so far been denied the outstanding wages. New FEMNET cooperation project with CIVIDEP in India With Cividep in Bangalore, South India, FEMNET has started a new project. It is supported as a small project by the BMZ and runs throughout 2015. It is a commitment to the creation of crèches in textile factories in Bangalore, which are required by law but not implemented. Seamstresses often do not know where to leave their toddlers and if there is care, she is so bad that the women do not want to entrust their children to the factory. More information about the project... 3. From the work of our project "FairSchnitt - Supporting fashion universities in the increased integration of sustainable teaching content into the curriculum" Femme5 Trade Fair in Bonn This year, FEMNET was once again present with its own information stand at the Femme5 fashion fair in Bonn. In addition, CEO Gisela Burckhardt took over the patronage of the fair. To the detailed trade fair report... Documentation of the meeting: Conference 'Slow Fashion - Fast Fashion' For the FEMNET Conference 2014 as part of the educational project FairSchnitt, the conference report with a list of the various daily contents, discussions and workshops has now been published. There are also three video clips about the conference: One with a nice summary of the two conference days, one that introduces the workshops and one that gives participants a chance to speak. More information, photos, videos and conference documentation FairSchnitt workshop at the Spring Academy of the Academy of Fashion and Design (AMD) in Düsseldorf In March, two FairSchnitt multipliers offered a workshop as part of the Spring Academy of the Academy of Fashion and Design (AMD). The title of the four-day workshop was: ‘Ways of clothing in the FastFashion industry and their impact: production, trade, consumption, disposal and resale as used clothing.’ Read more... 4. More activities by FEMNET Regulars' meeting in Bonn After a wonderful Christmas party in December and a sick break in January, the Bonn FEMNET Stammtisch has been meeting every second Tuesday of the month since February. In February, we dealt with the topic of clothing consumption using the example of Lent clothing treatment (and not only then). In March, the regulars' meeting took place for the first time in our new location in the Brotfabrik in Bonn Beuel. It was informed about the topics and working methods of the Clean Clothes Campaign. The next regular meeting dates are on 14.04.15, 12.05.15 and 09.06.15 Starts at 7 p.m. at the Kulturzentrum Brotfabrik, Kreuzstraße 16, Bonn The topics will be discussed about a week before the FEMNET homepage announced. Regulars' meeting in Berlin The Berlin Stammtisch took place for the fourth time in March 2015. For each meeting, there is usually a lecture by an external speaker from the fashion sector. The topics of the last meetings were: Presentation of the project Lokal International (Bangladesh), Asmara in Vietnam, life clothes in Berlin and their range of sustainable fabrics. The regulars' table always takes place on the 3rd. Thursday of each month. Interested parties are welcome. Information and contact... FEMNET in the media Articles and press releases published by FEMNET on our association activities as well as topics and events have been published in various media. An up-to-date overview of the reporting of the last few months can be found on the FEMNET homepage. Here is a selection: January 2015: Papers for German and International Politics: From Primark to Hugo Boss: Shops without scruples / Articles by Gisela Burckhardt 23.01.2015: ZDF aspects: Death chick? Tobias Schlegl on the road at Fashion Week 23.01.2015: ARD: 100 days of textile alliance: High standards, low impact / G. Burckhardt 03.02.2015: New Westphalians: This is what slavery looks like today / A. Günther in conversation as an expert of FEMNET 06.02.2015: Conference of the SPD Group on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights / Speaker G. Burckhardt 27.02.2015: SWR: G. Burckhardt: Book review of Burckhardt’s book ‘Todschick’ 29.03.2015Femme 5 Messe in Bonn Report of the Bonner Generalanzeiger 29.03.2015ARD Europamagazin 29.3.2015 (Interview FEMNET) Dates 2015 26.4.2015 SR 2 Kulturradio broadcast from the Saarland Chamber of Labour: ‘Questions to the author’ (G. Burckhardt): 10.15-12.30 in Saarbrücken 29.4.2015 Gisela Burckhardt on TV ‘MDR um 4’ from Leipzig 30.4.2015 Panel discussion on Fair Trade/TTIP in Bonn with Gisela Burckhardt and Uwe Kekeritz, MdB, in Migrapolis, 7 pm Further dates can be found on the FEMNET homepage Disclaimer FEMNET e.V.Feminist Perspectives on Politics, Economy and SocietyHeidebergenstr. 1453229 BonnThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel. 0228 18038116 Board of Directors: Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, Franziska Gorgas, Janina Hotze, Christiane Kühnrich, Michaela ReithingerEditorial and responsible within the meaning of § 5 TMG: Dr. Gisela BurckhardtDisclaimer: Despite careful content control, we assume no liability. File number VR 9568B at the District Court of Bonn. back
