The Victims of Fast Fashion

by Haleigh Smith

Fashion and clothing is an old and ever-growing industry throughout the world from the trends of the Georgian era up until the present day. As fashion has evolved throughout the decades' trends and the want for contemporary clothing and ideas has increased by a dramatic amount. In the UK alone the fashion industry market value is at sixty-six million pounds, with the retail sale for clothing increasing over £414,000.

As the demand for clothing increases the workforce and need for fashion-related employment follows suite. Sweatshops are a growing concern across the globe. These sweatshops often involve poverty level salaries, excessive hours of manual labour and unsafe working conditions. Many of those who work in sweatshops, mostly in the third world and developing countries, are children that are 12 years old and younger. Their human right to have access to education and a school opportunity is stripped and they are forced to work in disgusting and degrading workplaces in order to produce the products that are demanded from across the globe. Sweatshop wages can be as low as a single US cent per hour, working up to 100 hours a week in conditions such as extreme heat, cramped spacing and poor air quality. Not only this but in extreme conditions employees that would complain or slack during their shifts would be beaten and abused physically, mentally, verbally and sexually.

In the early 20th century the New York City fashion industry was dominated by sweatshops located on the Lower East Side until unionisation and regulations were implemented, but as China began to grow as a nation it emerged as the world’s largest producer of clothing due to its low labour costs and with this came extremely disciplined and unhealthy workplace conditions. Despite the attempts to control sweatshops such as pressures from the trade union, political influence, social influence due to growing activism and the fight for human rights there are still many issues regarding sweatshops in the modern-day. Modern sweatshops are not only found in countries such as Bangladesh and China but also the United States of America and some companies found in the United Kingdom.

However, as the world or human rights continues to grow in significance and power the fight against human rights violations such as sweatshops are being investigated and stopped for the sake of those exposed to such poor conditions. Actions can be taken by people globally by looking for fair-trade labels and shopping for clothes at thrift shops and charity shops scattered across towns and cities. Minimising the demand for clothes will help improve the problem of fast fashion and thus the demands that are forced to be met in sweatshops.

Portsmouth Grammar school have joined the fight against sweatshops and fast fashion. The schools Amnesty Youth group have organised a swap shop event, occurring on Friday 18th October 2019. People are encouraged to bring in old clothes in exchange for tokens that they can use to trade for clothing brought in by others. Whilst this happens information slides, leaflets and videos will be given out and showcased in an attempt to raise awareness of the conditions and impact fashion has in the modern world.