Femnet e.V.

Pressemeldungen - Wer passt auf? Mütter und Kinder in Fabriken

20 September 2018 Infants without care at suppliers of H&M, Primark, Zalando & co

On World Children's Day, FEMNET petition with more than 14,100 signatures calls on fashion companies to protect the children of their seamstresses!

Bonn. Large fashion brands knowingly produce in factories where adequate care is not provided for employees' children. Research by FEMNET and CIVIDEP in India confirms that the situation is often catastrophic. None of the companies answered questions, however, and they rejected offers of talks. The petition for the campaign #WerPasstAuf? continues, thousands of people call on the corporations to act.

Protecting children and mothers is part of the precautionary obligation of companies. On the other hand, fashion giants such as Primark, Zalando, H&M, C&A and Cecil are violating this by having them manufactured by suppliers where the children of the employees are poorly or not at all cared for. This was confirmed by samples in Indian clothing factories by FEMNET e.V. and its partner organisation CIVIDEP. The provision of childcare facilities there is even required by law.

Manufacturers are silent

At the request of FEMNET and CIVIDEP, the manufacturers were not prepared to provide information on the support situation in their production facilities. "The attitude of these brands shows that they do not care about their precautionary obligations, as defined in the OECD guidelines," says Gisela Burckhardt, CEO of FEMNET. “As large contracting authorities, they could work towards the implementation of staff qualification and better care. Local organizations such as CIVIDEP offer support. But often this already fails due to access to the factories.” All five manufacturers rejected offers of talks with representatives of the NGOs.

Petition #WerPasstAuf? calls on H&M, Primark, C&A, Zalando and Cecil to improve the care situation. Prominent supporters include Renate Künast, Katja Dörner, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul and Janine Steeger. On Facebook, they related public position with photos. Your message to the fashion giants: Don't forget the children of your seamstresses!

"The conditions are sometimes so problematic that the women even prefer to accommodate their children with relatives living far away or leave them alone at home," explains Sina Marx, project officer at FEMNET. During the examinations, some naked rooms without toys, learning materials, food or qualified staff were presented as cribs and day care centres. Few children visited many of these conspicuously small facilities, although eighty percent of India's 45 million textile workers are women. Most seamstresses cannot afford to give up their work financially. Overtime is the order of the day for them, usually poorly paid and under inhumane working conditions.

background

 

FEMNET e.V.

FEMNET e.V. is a non-profit women's rights organization founded in 2007 and based in Bonn. FEMNET opposes the exploitation of women in the clothing industry of the Global South, where much of Western clothing is sewn. The organization encourages companies to ensure compliance with social standards throughout the supply chain and the policy of creating binding rules for business conduct.

With a mutual legal assistance fund, FEMNET supports the rights of women in the global South and conducts educational and advisory work at universities and schools in Germany. In addition, the organization advises cities and municipalities on the purchase of fair service clothing and provides information on seals and fair-produced clothing.