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FEMNET NEWSLETTER No. 4/2015 - December
Content: 1. Campaign work |
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Good day, At this point we would like to look back briefly on the past year, which has been very successful for us: With the help of an intensive public mobilization in the context of the Clean Clothes Campaign, in which FEMNET was also involved, the victims of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh could finally be compensated and it looks like the victims of Tazreen will soon receive payments. In both cases, the majority of the victims were women. The Textile Alliance in Germany has begun its work and now has more than 170 members. However, statutory regulation of corporate pension obligations by the government – which even individual companies would welcome – remains a long way off. The next year will show what the textile alliance will bring. We are still at the very beginning. FEMNET was able to successfully expand its project FairSchnitt and also initiate further projects, about which we report here. Celebrities such as Hannes Jaenicke and Janine Steeger are committed to FEMNET, for which we would like to thank you again. FEMNET will continue to work in 2016 to ensure that labour rights violations in the textile industry are detected and that the Textile Alliance, among other things, leads to effective improvements for women on the ground. We would like to thank you very much for your support this year and hope that you will continue to accompany us in the coming year. We wish you happy holidays, time for reflection and the opportunity to pause. For the coming year, we wish everyone less wars and less exploitation, instead peace, happiness and confidence. Your FEMNET team
1. Campaign workBangladesh: 23.11.2015 marks the third anniversary of the fire at the Tazreen factory
Cambodia: Visit of Cambodian trade unionist Sophorn Yang
Textile alliance: First small steps after a year
On 16 October, the Textile Alliance celebrated its one-year anniversary. One would assume a certain balance of activities. Unfortunately, this is not the case, because in fact there were initially seven months of stagnation after the foundation, because the majority of the economy had not joined. Only after the action plan had been adapted – in terms of action, not objectives – did the business associations HDE (Handelsverband des deutschen Retails) and Textil+Mode call on their members to join. In the meantime, more than half of the German textile industry is a member of the Textile Alliance and a total of six working groups have been created. The coming year will show whether the alliance can and will contribute to improving the working conditions of textile workers. FEMNET will be particularly committed to this in the coming year.
2. Projects & collaborationsReports from our partners from Bangladesh and IndiaKita project in India with producers of H&M and C&A Our partner Cividep in India has prepared a study on the care situation of children of textile workers in factories in Bangalore, which is based on interviews with the textile workers. Cividep invited several times to discussions with shopping companies and the local factory management. Training is currently underway for caregivers from some factories with the aim of improving the care situation. In the meantime, a current study is available, which you can also access in German. New project: Modern slavery in South Indian spinning mills For May 2016, FEMNET is planning a tour of two guests from the south in several cities and universities, who will explain the catastrophic working conditions in the spinning mills. If you are interested in us also coming to you, please contact us at
News from India from our partner organisation MUNNADE/GLU September 2, 2015 marks a milestone in the history of GLU. On this day, the GLU, together with the Central Union Organization, managed to mobilize 25,000 women for the All India General Strike. In just a few days, meetings were convened, an action plan was drawn up, 500 posters were printed overnight and distributed by the GLU members in the Peenya industrial area. The posters contained the following demands:
The rally took place in the Peenya industrial area in Bangalore, where mainly the textile production is located. Subsequently, the strike parties exchanged views on their demands at a public meeting.
Our educational project FairSchnittFairSchnitt project – Expert workshop
FairSchnitt project – Again, numerous workshops on (un)worthy working conditions with students of fashion-related courses have been carried out
Project FairSchnitt – On www.modeFAIRarbeiten.de we blog
Pilot project "Fair public procurement" To the press report of the Bonner General-Anzeiger...
3. Fundraising campaign winter 2015
When do human rights become fashionable?
FEMNET stands by the side of these women! We urgently need donations and memberships. We have to finance our projects from our own resources. Our campaigns, awareness-raising and public relations work also depend on it. Donate online or by bank transfer. Our bank details Our work is recognized as charitable, your donation is deductible from the tax. Do you want to get involved?
4. Further news and activitiesAnne Klein Women's Award for our President Gisela Burckhardt has been campaigning for the rights of women workers in the global textile industry for many years. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has now honoured its commitment with the Anne Klein Women's Award. ‘She is a bridge-builder between consumers in Europe and manufacturing women, particularly in India, Bangladesh and Cambodia’ is the verdict of the five-member jury, which includes Barbara Unmüßig, Board Member of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, and Renate Künast of Bündnis90/Die Grünen. As embarrassing as the conditions in the textile factories are, so outstanding is Gisela Burckhardt's commitment to changing conditions. The prize, which is awarded by the foundation in honor of the politician and feminist pioneer Anne Klein, is endowed with 10,000 euros and will be presented solemnly on 4 March.
5. FEMNET in the mediaPress review October to December 2015 14 October 2015 28 October 2015 26 November 2015 November – Periphery No 140: Gisela Burckhardt and Hildegard Scheu in conversation 10 November 2015 26 November 2015 02. December 2015 07. December 2015 07. December 2015 08. December 2015
6. Tips & datesCurrent dates and past events can be found on our FEMNET homepage In particular, we would like to draw your attention to the following dates: 19-21 January 2016 22-23 January 2016 4 February 2016 26-28 February 2016 4 March 2016 9 April 2016
7. DisclaimerFEMNET e.V.Feminist Perspectives on Politics, Economy and Society Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 11 53113 Bonn Tel. 0228 18038116 Board of Directors: Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, Vanessa Püllen, Andrea Lindner, Franziska Gorgas, Christiane Kühnrich Editorial and responsible within the meaning of § 5 TMG: Dr. Gisela Burckhardt Disclaimer: Despite careful content control, we assume no liability. File number VR 9568B at the District Court of Bonn.
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The Cambodian trade unionist reported on her work at universities and in particular on the great difficulties faced by Cambodian women due to the multiple burdens of work, family and household. For most of these women, it is simply impossible physically and temporally to fight for a fair wage and secure working conditions.The lectures were organized by FEMNET and the German Khmer Friendship e.V.
Another project, which we are carrying out together with our partner Cividep, is currently preparing a comprehensive study on debt bondage in spinning mills in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This will be available in early 2016 and will be translated by us. We will create and publish short factsheets for this purpose. 
The GLU (Garment Labour Union) led the strike against the controversial labor reforms planned by the state. 
FairSchnitt has already successfully completed many workshops at universities in Germany in the current winter semester. There were assignments at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, HAW Hamburg and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. A workshop with aspiring fashion journalists was held at the Akademie Mode und Design in Düsseldorf. With a special format, the Trier University of Applied Sciences also ventured into unknown realms – here the professor organised a two-day workshop on a completely voluntary basis in cooperation with FairSchnitt. 12 students took part and subsequently showed a keen interest in continuing to engage with the issue of human rights in their sector. 
The pilot project on social public procurement, carried out together with the City of Bonn, is coming to an end. In cooperation with the City of Bonn, FEMNET has revised the tender documents of the Office for Urban Green in the last 4.5 months, so that in the future social criteria for the purchase of workwear must be observed by the suppliers of workwear. A successful bidder dialogue has taken place, informing potential suppliers of what they need to consider in the future. The office for urban green also benefited from the mutual exchange. The employees as future wearers of fair clothing were brought on board. The culmination was a public event on the 8th. December with greetings from Mayor Klingmüller and Dr. Gisela Burckhardt a fashion show with fair workwear. The second phase of the project will continue to accompany the call for tenders and will also support other offices of the City of Bonn in the transition to fair procurement. 
