Fighting Against Human Rights Violation on Female Workers in Global Sweatshops Bangladesh: Fashion Revolution Movement

NOVINDA SEKAR PUTRI, Randy Wirasta Nandyatama S.I.P., M.Sc.

2021 | Skripsi | S1 ILMU HUBUNGAN INTERNASIONAL

The fast-paced lifestyle of the 21tht century has helped shape consumer�¢ï¿½ï¿½s behavior of keeping up with the newest trends, in particular, clothes, bags, shoes, and more. With seasonal trends keep occurring, the term fast fashion is born. It is defined as an international retail brand�¢ï¿½ï¿½s activity to continuously release new products and sell them at cheaper prices in order to keep up with society�¢ï¿½ï¿½s trends. These international retail brands usually gain massive profits by opening their retail shops in many countries. However, the issue is behind the making-process of these fast-fashion chains, the sweatshop industry. Sweatshop has existed since Industrial period and it refers to human exploitation and horrible working conditions for the workers. As brands wish to sell their products at affordable prices, brands decide to manufacture their products using cheap labor. Bangladesh is known to be one of the top three countries with the most sweatshop factories. The incident, Rana Plaza building collapse, also became one of the deadliest incidents in the history of sweatshop building accidents. Accidents similar to Rana Plaza has been occurring due to the poor facilities and building condition that the workers must endure in their 6-7 days a week job. The workers, who are mostly immigrant women and young children, are paid low wages, work in poor facilities, and facing unfair treatment, even sexual harassment. Thus, the Rana Plaza incidents gained international attention, which drove the creation of a global movement, the Fashion Revolution in 2014. This movement aims to bring awareness of the human rights violations in the sweatshop industry all over the world, including Bangladesh, by pressuring brands to be more transparent in regards to their policy and supply chains for the public to access. Therefore, the Fashion Revolution movement will be further analyzed using the Resource Mobilization theory in this thesis, which will determine the movement�¢ï¿½ï¿½s success in spreading awareness and help to create policy changes.

The fast-paced lifestyle of the 21tht century has helped shape consumer�¢ï¿½ï¿½s behavior of keeping up with the newest trends, in particular, clothes, bags, shoes, and more. With seasonal trends keep occurring, the term fast fashion is born. It is defined as an international retail brand�¢ï¿½ï¿½s activity to continuously release new products and sell them at cheaper prices in order to keep up with society�¢ï¿½ï¿½s trends. These international retail brands usually gain massive profits by opening their retail shops in many countries. However, the issue is behind the making-process of these fast-fashion chains, the sweatshop industry. Sweatshop has existed since Industrial period and it refers to human exploitation and horrible working conditions for the workers. As brands wish to sell their products at affordable prices, brands decide to manufacture their products using cheap labor. Bangladesh is known to be one of the top three countries with the most sweatshop factories. The incident, Rana Plaza building collapse, also became one of the deadliest incidents in the history of sweatshop building accidents. Accidents similar to Rana Plaza has been occurring due to the poor facilities and building condition that the workers must endure in their 6-7 days a week job. The workers, who are mostly immigrant women and young children, are paid low wages, work in poor facilities, and facing unfair treatment, even sexual harassment. Thus, the Rana Plaza incidents gained international attention, which drove the creation of a global movement, the Fashion Revolution in 2014. This movement aims to bring awareness of the human rights violations in the sweatshop industry all over the world, including Bangladesh, by pressuring brands to be more transparent in regards to their policy and supply chains for the public to access. Therefore, the Fashion Revolution movement will be further analyzed using the Resource Mobilization theory in this thesis, which will determine the movement�¢ï¿½ï¿½s success in spreading awareness and help to create policy changes.

Kata Kunci : Sweatshop industry, social movement, Fashion Revolution, Bangladesh, fast fashion, global movement, human rights, resource mobilization theory, female workers.