With the fashion interACTION network, FEMNET contributes to the cross-university, supra-regional networking of students who are committed to human rights and a social-ecological change in the textile and clothing industry. There are already many student initiatives and organizations that are committed to a sustainable change in the industry. The new platform simplifies networking, shares resources and knowledge, and strengthens motivation.
© Elena Schmidt
More than 1,000 students gathered at the Education Campus in Heilbronn on 19 and 20 July 2023 to address the many aspects of the SDGs. It was danced, discussed and worked – always with the aim of awakening pupils’ commitment to their future.
On 27 September 2023 at 7 p.m., we will launch the network fashion interAction – networked – fair – informed. In response to the serious grievances of the fashion industry, many students and student initiatives have already set out to work for decent working conditions, the protection of the environment and human rights. The new network fashion interAction bundles this broad commitment, networking active people nationwide in order to bundle knowledge and resources and achieve more together.
© hceebee - flickr.com
Bonn, Berlin, Dachau. In Central Asian Turkmenistan, state authorities force tens of thousands of people from state and private companies as well as universities to work in the cotton harvest every year. This makes Turkmenistan one of the states in which forced labour is systematically and state-organized.
The textile alliance, set up to implement fair working conditions from the cotton field to the hanger, remains inactive. NGOs requested the recommendation to all member companies to stop the processing of cotton from forced labour in Turkmenistan and to sign the call for a boycott of Turkmen cotton (Turkmen Cotton Pledge of the Cotton Campaign). By refusing, the Textile Alliance misses an opportunity to contribute to the abolition of a state-organized forced labour system. In the run-up to the 2023/24 cotton harvest, clear positioning could have increased international pressure on Turkmenistan.
© FEMNET
Our multi-stakeholder partnership, which we carry out together with the NGOs TURC (Indonesia), Cividep (India) and the SÜDWIND Institute (Germany), has reached its half-time and we look back on an eventful time. Here are some insights into this year's project activities.
© Justice is Everybody’s Business
Together with the Supply Chain Act initiative, numerous organisations and civil society, we have been working for a long time to protect human rights, the climate and the environment in supply chains. On 1 June, MEPs in the European Parliament will be able to vote on their position on the EU Supply Chain Act. Together we want to make it clear to them once again: It is important to vote for the European Supply Chain Act now!
© FEMNET
On the occasion of the virtual general meeting of the online retailer Zalando on 24 May 2023, Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, Zalando stockholder and CEO of FEMNET e.V., asked critical questions. However, concrete answers to this were largely absent.
© Engagement Global / Compass Sustainability
In the future, buyers will be able to create interactive proof questionnaires for bidding companies using a new online tool without any Excel knowledge in order to check compliance with sustainability criteria. The proof questionnaire generator will be available free of charge from summer 2023 in the new ‘My Compass’ login area of the SKEW Sustainability Compass.
© FEMNET
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation published its strategy paper ‘Feminist Development Policy – Towards a Just and Strong Society Worldwide’ in March 2023, having already presented guidance on the topic at the beginning of 2022. FEMNET had commented critically. The new strategy paper now provides further elements to help tackle gender inequality. Can this improve the working conditions of workers in the clothing industry?
© FEMNET
What has changed since the collapse of the Rana Plaza building 10 years ago? – Together with the students of the Evangelical Student Community (ESG) Bonn and the ALANUS University of Applied Sciences (HS), FEMNET investigated this question on two film evenings followed by roundtable discussions.
