On a Serious Note...

Last week the program 60 Minutes did a report on the troubled state of the garment industry in Bangladesh. Watching this report was disturbing and reinforced my desire for change to take place. Garment factory workers are being exploited and abused on a regular basis and yet nobody seems to want to take responsibility; in fact many do not even seem to care. Everybody has an excuse.

The consumer - wants a cheap bargain and many can not afford to buy quality. But then, does quality mean that it has been made fairly and ethically? Not necessarily. Retailers it seems, also want a cheap bargain and prefer to remain blissfully ignorant as to what is happening and when things really do go wrong, like a building collapses, they use excuses: 'It was just a one-off order.' 'We weren't aware that that was happening!' They want to make a profit, and they just don't feel accountable. Factory bosses flat out deny any trouble, rejecting that problems and abuse occur in the first place.

This is not a new problem, issues like child and slave labor or deadly effects on workers who sandblast denim have been shadowing the garment industry for some time now. We could choose to ignore it or we could each do something small to try and bring about change. For although we are each just individuals, we are also consumers and have the power not to consume if we so choose.

 I have been thinking for some time now about things that I could personally do to help stop this shameful situation. This is what I came up with...
#Make my own clothes - supportive networks like Handmakers' Factory and Sew Make Create or Summer Hill Sewing Emporium can be of help.
#Buy from Ethical Traders.
#Buy handmade from websites like Etsy or Madeit.
#Discover my habitat - I have found shops like Sandy Designs, Pipstars, who make their garments locally. And Red Cent Charity Store in NSW (who sell lovely knitted children's jumpers and crocheted items made and donated by elderly women just up the road).

I am by no means a saint and I do not proclaim to never having bought a cheap item from a large badly-lit department store. But I do want change. I want us to stop and think. Next time you pick a piece of clothing underneath a banner which reads - grab two for ten bucks! Where did it come from? Do I really need this? And do I really even want this... Chances are you may decide NO.