Released on May 9th, Tuesday, by Oxfam Aotearoa, a milestone report reveals that several household name clothing brands in New Zealand are failing to meet international transparency standards regarding where their clothes are manufactured, despite the fact that this is becoming more common in Australia and Europe.
The research, which is part of the ‘What She Makes’ campaign, gives supply chain transparency scores for six of New Zealand’s largest fashion businesses based on public information available to buyers. Some brands did really well and managed to get a full five-star rating. On the other hand, Glassons and Hallenstein Brothers disappointed everyone by receiving only two stars.
What She Makes
The survey was commissioned by Oxfam Aotearoa’s ‘What She Makes‘ campaign, which pushes locally sold clothing firms to give a living wage to the women who produce their products, who frequently live in countries such as China or Bangladesh. Oxfam works directly with the businesses through the campaign to help them accomplish a number of goals, with a brand tracker and star-rating system meant to hold the brands accountable and keep them on track.
The tracker includes five milestones that the company will be evaluated against for several years, with the ratings providing an insight into how well each brand is performing at each stage. It also allows clients to choose and support brands that they find ethical.
The first campaign milestone, set for late 2022, requested that firms make a public pledge to pay workers in the supply chain a livable wage. The campaign’s next milestone will be next year, when brands will be asked to separate labour costs in price setting and negotiation. The ultimate goal is for firms to pay a living wage in their supply networks four to six years after making the commitment.
Oxfam on this
Shalomi Daniel, Oxfam Aotearoa’s campaign lead for gender and economic justice, stated that well-known fashion brands have really stepped up their game to achieve this milestone. She went on to say that they are happy to see New Zealand-founded brands and household names Kathmandu and Macpac performing on par with huge global brands H&M and Lululemon, all of which received five stars.
In addition to this, she said that all four brands’ transparency extends to full lists of their Tier 1 factories, where they are placed, and information about all the workers working in their factories. Daniel was upset that Glassons and Hallenstein Bros. elected not to share their most recent transparency data with the world.
For not meeting Oxfam’s criteria, Glassons and Hallenstein Brothers get only a two-star rating, with everyone hoping for them to improve. As per Shalomi, if a firm does not share the data, it does not mean that the working conditions in the respective factory are bad, but it does make it hard for others to find out.
According to Shalomi, an increasing number of shoppers demand that their preferred brand be transparent about where their products are manufactured. Transparency is the foundation of an ethical supply chain, as it allows workers, unions, and groups of people to scrutinise the working conditions of such factories and ensure that women who manufacture our garments are treated and compensated decently and adequately.
Daniel ended her statement on a positive note. Thankfully, this is not the end. Oxfam will continue this journey with brands to ensure that the women who manufacture their clothes get paid a living wage. They welcome everyone who wants to support their campaign and assist them in demanding better conditions for the women who produce our clothes by declaring their commitment at Oxfam’s ‘What She Makes’.
