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The app, which we create with our partner organization BLAST, supports in labour rights violations and helps to enforce rights. Read...

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FEMNET Newsletter - March 2019

Dear visitor,
Dear friends of FEMNET,

On International Women's Day on 8 March, FEMNET launches a new campaign #againstviolence: We oppose the massive violence against women in the world of work and especially in the fashion industry. Our project partners report on bad conditions in sewing shops in India and Bangladesh.

“In the factories, we are subjected to sexual harassment by superiors and are told that we are worthless. Women workers are silenced – by violence or threats. That is why almost none of the women dare to talk about their experiences”.
Kalpona Akter, Bangladesh

Many fashion brands let produce under these outrageous circumstances. With our #againstviolence campaign, we call on companies to take preventive measures to protect women. They must make sure that their suppliers do not tolerate violence in the workplace!

Read also our Today's press release.

Join us and send us a message #againstviolence against women!

Join in! But how?
Our tips for photos or videos #againstviolence

Signs of Violence

Our video on youtube.com gives suggestions to join in.

  1. Paint hands blue
    e.g. with watercolours or fingercolours
    Our tip:Use the blue hands differently, e.g. as handprints on T-shirts etc.
  2. Write your message on your hands with red lettering, e.g. #against violence, ‘Stop violence’ or ‘Stop GBV’ in English[1]“
  3. Take a photo or short video
  4. Post on social media, use the hashtag #againstviolence and refer to our website: www.femnet-ev.de/gegengewalt. Or provide us with your video snippet for our campaign video and website: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  5. Announcement! Share your post or this email with friends and family and ask them to sign up as well.

[1] GBV is the abbreviation for "gender-based violence", i.e. gender-based violence. www.femnet-ev.de/gegenGewalt

Donations for local work

You're convinced?

You can also support our project #against violence with a donation!

Donate button

What we do

BCWS Workshop against Violence
A workshop for seamstresses at the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity. Photo © BCWS

We support our partner organisations BCWS in Bangladesh and SAVE in India as part of a cooperation project against violence against women and girls in the fashion industry. On site, they conduct training courses for workers and factory managers and establish dialogue structures. In Germany, we support this with active campaign and awareness-raising work. The project runs until 2021 and is funded by Engagement Global on behalf of the BMZ and the Women's Foundation filia. In addition, donations enable the implementation of our project work.

You will receive information material on the topic from us (e.g. our Factsheet on gender-based violence in the clothing industry (PDF file). Lectures and educational assignments are also possible.

To the background

Violence against women is one of the most widespread violations of human rights worldwide. These include not only physical assaults, but sexualized, psychological, and economic forms of violence.

When sewing clothes, 60 to 90 percent of workers are women. Men mainly work in supervisory and managerial positions, they give instructions, exert pressure and many do not shy away from violent behavior: Studies show that women workers are frighteningly often victims of violence in the workplace. In surveys, around 75% of women workers in the Bangladeshi clothing industry say they have been harassed at work – the figure is correspondingly higher.

More background information here. www.femnet-ev.de/gegengewalt

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FEMNET e.V.
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 11
53113 Bonn
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel. 0228 18038116

Board of Directors: Dr. Gisela Burckhardt, Vanessa Püllen, Susanne Kupka, Britta Amorinn, Christine Pflüger

Editorial team: Katharina Edinger and Sina Marx
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.