I've been thinking a bit about sweatshops recently, after the recent thread on how it's more expensive to be a woman. I then saw this article in the Guardian today which points out that sweatshops (still used by most high street brands including GAP, M&S etc) are most definitely a gender issue - 76% of the workforce in the countries surveyed (Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka) are women, and as well as terrible working conditions and pathetic pay, they're also subjected, in some places, to mandatory pregnancy tests, sexual harassment and abuse.
I guess I'm wondering a) why this is not more of an issue - there was all that hooha about sweatshops a few years ago, why not now? And b) is there anything we can do to help? And c) where is a good place to buy clothes from that doesn't use sweatshops? At the bottom of the article it states that the government, in all their wisdom, have just cut funding to the International Labour Organisation, which aims to improve working conditions worldwide. Quelle surprise.
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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions
sweatshops - a feminist issue?
6 replies
steamedtreaclesponge · 28/04/2011 10:53
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StewieGriffinsMom ·
29/04/2011 11:07
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StewieGriffinsMom ·
30/04/2011 09:25
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