The focus of this year’s conference with more than 200 representatives from brands, NGOs, politics and media, was child labor in the textile industry which still affects more than 150 million children worldwide. The Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation., Sigrid Kaag, opened the conference with a call for increased cooperation among organizations, brands and politics to tackle child labor collectively.

The new child labor report

The presentation of the new child labor report published by the Fair Wear Foundation stood central during the conference. The publication provides not only insights into current numbers and structures of child labor but also makes the voices of affected children heard. In addition, the report makes recommendations of how brands can tackle child labor in their own supply chain.

The role of fair brands

In addition, a diverse set of topics was covered during the conference, ranging from subcontracting to living wages and cooperation. In her keynote speech, Safia Minney, founder of People Tree, further emphasized the role of fair brands to persuade and educate the public. By using storytelling and cooperating with influencers fair fashion can find its way into the mainstream.

The Fair Wear Foundation is a non-profit organization that works together with brands, organizations, trade unions and governments to improve working conditions in the textile industry. Several German brands are members of the Fair Wear Foundation, among which Armed Angels, Jack Wolfskin, Takko, or Vaude.

Read more about the conference in our next issue of textile network 1-2 2018 which will be publishes om 28th January 2019

by Hannah Werner