Focus: Garments Production The German print magazin D+C (Development & Cooreration) features the worldwide garments production in its May issue. Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET's chairwoman of the board wrote about the German Green Button Lable, which is supposed to stand for sustainability, but needs more stringent criteria in her oppinion. Read this article and many more on this focus topic. Download the magazin (pdf-file, 3.7 MB) Details Category: 2022 Published: 04 May 2022
© Taslima Akter Open letter to the European Union: Supply chain law hast to ensure gender-responsive due diligence The draft European supply chain law adopted by the EU on February 23 is a success. It establishes rules for compliance with environmental and human rights standards in global value chains. However, it does not sufficiently address the consequences of corporate actions on women and girls. That is why 82 organizations, including FEMNET, are signing an open letter to the European Union demanding that the text is improved to combat gender inequalities and discrimination in global value chains. Open letter: Ensuring a gender-responsive and effective Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence legislation (PDF-file) Details Category: 2022 Published: 07 April 2022
ID of Jeyasre Kathiravel. © Handout Huge success in India: H&M signs contract with Indian producer Eastman to stop gender specific violence In the South Indian state Tamil Nadu, the textile worker Jeyasre (20 years old) has been raped and killed by her supervisor at 5th of January 2021. Subsequently, the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) executed an independent investigation on behalf of H&M. Conversations of H&M with Eastman Group, as well as with the labour union Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Union (TTCU) took place. These conversations resulted in the setup of a legally binding agreement against gender specific violence. Details Category: 2022 Published: 06 April 2022 Read more …
Textiles Partnership: The Partnership Initiative Tamil Nadu 2.0 successfully starts its second phase The joint commitment to improved grievance structures in spinning mills and the promotion of stakeholder dialogue continues. The Partnership Initiative Tamil Nadu entered its second phase in November 2021. The focus is now on around 40 spinning mills in the four districts of Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode and Tiruppur. In addition to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and FEMNET, the four Partnership companies Tchibo, the Otto Group, KiK and HUGO BOSS AG are once again participating in this project. As in the first project phase, the local NGO SAVE is organizing the on-site implementation. Rising numbers of infections and repeated lockdowns in the Indian state caused delays. But now the project is picking up speed and the first factory visits and training sessions have taken place. Details Category: 2022 Published: 31 March 2022 Read more …
© FEMNET Focus on gender-equitable health: Launch of a new multi-stakeholder initiative in the clothing and footwear sector In April 2022, a new initiative in the textile and footwear industry took off. The aim is to improve the health situation of workers. The focus is on production regions in India and Indonesia as well as possibilities for action in Germany. The organizations FEMNET e.V. and SÜDWIND Institute are initiating the initiative in Germany. "We want to take into account the needs of all relevant stakeholders right from the start. These include local workers, local trade unions and other civil society organizations. At the same time, it is important for us to involve companies, existing initiatives and suppliers," explains project manager Lisa Carl from FEMNET. Details Category: 2022 Published: 30 March 2022 Read more …
© SAVE, Indien Ratification of ILO Convention 190 required As part of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, FEMNET has proposed to call on the German government in an Open Letter on Women's Day on March 8 to finally ratify ILO Convention 190 against gender-based violence in the workplace. A total of 32 alliance members, including 17 companies, signed a letter to Minister Heil (Ministry of Labor) and Minister Schulze (BMZ). Details Category: 2022 Published: 09 March 2022 Read more …
© FEMNET EU supply chain law: Not consistent enough for a "big hit" On Feb. 23, 2022 the EU presented its draft for a Europe-wide supply chain law. This is a good signal for the observance of human rights and climate protection along global supply chains. In terms of the size of companies, the EU draft is more ambitious than the German one. However, it lacks sufficient liability regulations for companies or references to gender-sensitive measures to protect workers, especially women and girls, from exploitation and violence. Details Category: 2022 Published: 24 February 2022 Read more …
© FEMNET Reports of the companies in the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles on the topic of Gender-based violence At the end of December 2021, 43 member companies of the Textile Alliance published their reports on the implementation of their due diligence obligations in the supply chain. In them, they describe the measures taken so far as well as future line to combat Gender Based Violence (GBV). Almost all companies assess the risk of GBV as high when producing in Asia, but the measures taken vary considerably. Details Category: 2022 Published: 11 February 2022 Read more …
© Myanmar now media International brands must act and cease production in Myanmar On February 1, 2021 the military in Myanmar staged a coup, arrested the elected members of the government, and took power. Four days later, a general strike began with numerous street protests known as the civil disobedience movement. At the forefront were the textile workers of Myanmar. To this day, their protests are violently suppressed, and trade unionists are arrested and killed. International brands must act and stop production in Myanmar to weaken the military regime. Details Category: 2022 Published: 01 February 2022 Read more …
© FEMNET Indian FEMNET partner Rukmini V. Puttaswamy receives Bremen Solidarity Award We are very happy about the award for the trade unionist Rukmini V. Puttaswamy from Bangalore. On our proposal she receives the 17th Solidarity Award of the Bremen State Chancellery. Details Category: 2021 Published: 25 February 2021 Read more …
Arbeitsausweis von Jeyasre Kathiravel. Foto: Handout Killing of female textile worker sheds new lights on structural violence in Indian factories. Violence against female workers is grim reality in Indian factories. Especially young women are helplessly exposed to violence executed by their supervisors. An extraordinary brutal case now sheds new lights on relationships of dependence existing in textile factories. In the South Indian state Tamil Nadu, the textile worker Jeyasre (20 years old) has been found death on 5th of January 2021, after her parents searched for her over days. She has been killed by her male supervisor. The man, who has confessed the crime, now is in jail. Details Category: 2021 Published: 22 February 2021 Read more …
