© Daily Star
Adiba Afros and Sifat E Nur Khanam from Bangladesh shed light on the protracted consequences of the Rana Plaza collapse and criticize the lack of legal processing and outstanding compensation after thirteen years. The authors describe the progress made in the structural safety of export factories, but criticise the lack of judgments in the few criminal proceedings against those responsible, more comprehensive labour law reforms and an appropriate commemorative culture.
Under the impression of the factory collapse of Rana Plaza, the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles (Textile Alliance) was founded in 2014 as a multi-actor partnership between the federal government, business, trade unions and civil society. The aim was to improve the working conditions in the suppliers of German clothing companies and to reduce environmental damage. At the beginning of 2026, the Textile Alliance was transferred to the new format ‘Dialogue and Impact for Sustainable Textiles (DST)’. This is a good time to take stock and formulate expectations for the new initiative.
On 24.4.26 Politics meets Pop. We invite you to the Kleiderei Radio x IUMA concert.
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So far, it has been difficult to assign public contracts to specific production sites in the Global South. There are no statistics on this, nor is this information regularly requested in calls for tenders to date. What is shocking is that human rights due diligence obligations cannot actually be fulfilled: Those who remain invisible can easily be exploited. What do public buyers need to change that?
© Savannah van den Roovaart
The Ministry of the Environment is planning a legislative package that will allow fast-fashion manufacturers to contribute to the costs of disposal and recycling. In doing so, it is implementing an EU requirement, namely extended producer responsibility (EPR), which entered into force in October 2025.
© Savannah van den Roovaart
The Ministry of the Environment is planning a legislative package that will allow fast-fashion manufacturers to contribute to the costs of disposal and recycling. In doing so, it is implementing an EU requirement, namely extended producer responsibility (EPR), which entered into force in October 2025.
© AI-generated with ChatGPT
The latest case of actress Collien Fernandes shows the criminal protection gaps in dealing with digital violence in Germany. Her ex-husband Christian Ulmen is said to have abused her identity on the net for years, created fake profiles and conducted sexualized conversations with hundreds of men on her behalf, as well as disseminating pornographic material. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has already reacted and announced a digital violence protection law, which is to be presented in the spring of 2026. What gaps the case reveals, what the legal situation is in Europe and where Germany urgently needs to improve - a classification.
© Urte Enders
In the face of global crises and major societal challenges, such as the socio-ecological transformation, supporters are needed who can imagine the change and assess the effectiveness of measures and decisions taken. The basis for this is the perception of the future as open and configurable and an education that enables people to actively participate in the necessary processes of change. We want to develop this perspective together with your students with a view to textiles.
© FEMNET
On 9 March, the FEMNET team joined the international women's strike in Bonn on Münsterplatz. Together with many others, we have set a clear signal: We've had enough.
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FEMNET e.V. expands its content work with the focus on ‘Digital Violence, Gender Bias and Data Worker’. It focuses on the impact of digital technologies on women* and other marginalised groups, both in the Global North and the Global South. The association focuses in particular on misogyny and gender-based violence in the digital space, gender-related distortions in AI systems and the working conditions of click and data workers who perform invisible but central work along the digital supply chains.
© AI-generated with ChatGPT
Gender equality is not a "nice-to-have". It is a prerequisite for democratic, sustainable societies. Worldwide, women – and especially women in precarious employment – are disproportionately affected by poor working conditions, discrimination and gender-based violence. Especially in global supply chains, such as sewing plants, plantations or electronics assembly.
© Gerd Altmann | Pixabay
The European Commission intends to reorient EU public procurement – and called for a 12-week consultation by business and civil society. FEMNET has delivered a clear opinion and calls for gender equality and social responsibility to be firmly anchored in European public procurement practice.
