Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz 22 February 2022 Working together for gender equality and sustainable business: Bonn OB Katja Dörner welcomes annual partnership with FEMNET Bonn. Mayor Katja Dörner is in a Video message of the Bonn Women's Rights Association FEMNET Congratulations on the 15th anniversary. Since 2007, the association, which is the annual partner of the city of Bonn in 2022, has been committed to improving the living and working conditions of textile workers and clarifying the background of the global clothing industry. "FEMNET is a wonderful fit for Bonn as an international organisation, because Bonn is not only particularly active on an international level, for example by establishing partnerships, but also as a German UN city and home to more than 150 internationally oriented non-governmental organisations", says OB Dörner. “I am very pleased about the annual partnership with FEMNET, because we in Bonn and myself are very concerned about women’s rights.” Both partners share important principles Gender equality, fair trade and sustainable consumption, and, last but not least, fairer economic relations based on fair wages and environmental standards are further principles that both annual partners share and connect. And that they implement as a guideline in their work and also in joint projects. As part of its advice on fair procurement procedures, FEMNET has been supporting the then Office for Urban Green in the transition to fair service and workwear since 2016. The employees in the Bonn baths now also wear fair shorts and T-shirts. Close cooperation at various events for Bonn citizens has also existed for many years with the Office for Local Sustainability of the City of Bonn (formerly the Local Agenda Office), for example at the ‘Rundum fair’ on Münsterplatz. Bonn citizens have long benefited from the association's campaign and educational activities. At events, in projects with students and with the help of materials such as the Bonn purchasing guide, FEMNET shares its knowledge about the social and ecological connections of the fashion industry and shows the possibilities for sustainable consumption. Consumers can also take part in protests in front of fashion chains organised by Femnet and draw attention to unworthy working conditions such as starvation wages or massive and unpaid overtime. More attention through annual partnership FEMNET founder and CEO Dr. Gisela Burckhardt is looking forward to more attention for the concerns of the association, especially in the year of the 15-year association existence. “We are proud of our expertise in the social and environmental production conditions of clothing, our critical view of corporate responsibility and due diligence of clothing companies, our commitment to disadvantaged women, especially seamstresses in Bangladesh and India, and against their discrimination, including gender-based violence in the workplace.” With the annual partnership, FEMNET not only combines the desire for support and an even better networking of the living civil society. “The city wants to become climate neutral. We can contribute to this with our awareness-raising work on climate killer clothing,” emphasises Gisela Burckhardt. On the occasion of the annual partnership, FEMNET and the City of Bonn are planning a series of events to take place as soon as the pandemic situation allows. Background FEMNET FEMNET is a non-profit women's rights organization Based in Bonn. Founded in 2007, the association promotes better working conditions in the clothing industry of the global South through campaigns, educational and consulting work, and project work with local partners. Every year since 2000, the City of Bonn has invited an international organisation based in Bonn to form an annual partnership. Among other things, the organization has the opportunity to present itself and its topics in a series of high-profile events. The city supports these events with extensive services. With the annual partnerships, the City of Bonn is making a contribution to deeper international and local cooperation. Background Annual partnership Information on the annual partnership FEMNET - City of Bonn contact FEMNET e.V. Sabine Kaldonek Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 11 53113 Bonn Tel. +49 228 18038116 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.www.femnet.de Download the press release of 22 February 2022 (PDF)
