Our partner organisations HEJSupport and ESDO have published a new study on chemical pollution in communities around textile factories in Bangladesh. As part of a community-based monitoring, soil, water, sewage and hair samples were analyzed. The results show a significant exposure to long-lasting and harmful chemicals as well as heavy metals.
© FEMNET ⁇ Rosa Grabe
It is widely known that in so-called high-risk industries such as textiles, electronics or food, there are devastating labour and human rights violations in the supply chain. On 30 October, we discussed with municipalities and representatives of civil society why gender equality is a central issue for fair procurement practices. It became clear: Municipalities have concrete options for action – and they can already make effective use of them today.
© Turgut Arslan - pixabay.com
There are numerous approaches to make textile supply chains more transparent. Nevertheless, the origin of the textiles that municipalities procure, for example for hospitals or the police, often remains unclear. Why is this, and how can it change?
© FEMNET ⁇ Kerstin Dahmen
What can change look like – and what role do you play in it? At the "Stitching Futures" action meeting on 8 November, we tried out exactly that: Activism in many forms, creative experiments and new perspectives. Here we take a look at what has arisen and how diverse engagement can be.
A sign with the inscription Supply Chains on the quayside of a cargo port
The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) is regarded as a milestone: For the first time, it obliges companies to take responsibility for human rights and the environment along their entire supply chains. But this progress is on the brink.
© BLAST
Bangladesh is one of the most important production sites of the global fashion industry – and at the same time a place where millions of workers have to fight for fair conditions on a daily basis. Our partner BLAST (Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust) has developed an app that gives textile workers easy access to information, advice and legal assistance.
The legs of two football players
More and more fans are paying attention to fair production conditions, environmentally friendly materials and transparent supply chains when buying fan articles. Clubs also want to take responsibility – but the road to it is often challenging. Many clubs struggle with scarce resources, lack of expertise and complex supply chains. At the FanCommerce Forum, solutions and approaches are now being discussed.
On 7 October 2025, experts, trade unionists and activists from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Serbia, Mexico and Germany met in Berlin to discuss the future of corporate due diligence at the international conference ‘Due Diligence and Labour Rights – Quo Vadis?’. Organized by FEMNET e.V. together with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the CorA network and the umbrella association of critical shareholders, the focus was on how the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and the European CSDDD can actually contribute to improvements for workers along global supply chains.
© vanngo-ng - pexels.com
Jerseys, shorts and training jackets are rarely suspected of being a risk to the environment. But experts warn: Sports textiles contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity through microplastics made from synthetic fibres, high pesticide and water consumption in cotton cultivation and the clearing of species-rich forests for viscose. We will talk about this in a webinar to which we cordially invite you.
© drip by drip ⁇ Saikat Barab Shil
“Toxic chemicals from the textile industry threaten not only the environment in Bangladesh, but also the health and livelihoods of millions of people. Through innovative community-based monitoring, those affected in our project are themselves committed to sustainable change in order to make demands on authorities and factories based on collected data. Your top priority: Clean drinking water.’
Daniela Bartsch, Head of Projects Abroad
