The question I really wish I would stop getting asked

Author: James Bartle, Outland Denim founding CEO

The question I really wish I would stop getting asked: "What can consumers do to shop more ethically?"

Don't get me wrong! We love shoppers who want to support ethically made and journalists who want to spread the word.

But what I don't love is that it's somehow become the public's responsibility to clean up a mess they didn't make. It's so backwards, particularly when we are talking about basic human rights.

A huge contributor to injustice in fashion, as well as many industries, is modern slavery (situations where offenders use coercion, threats or deception to exploit victims and undermine their freedom).

$127.7 billion worth of garments at risk of including modern slavery in their supply chain are imported annually by G20 countries.*

In Australia we have the Modern Slavery Act which requires large organisations to report a) the risk of modern slavery in their supply chains and b) the steps they are taking to address these risks. But, there are zero formal consequences for businesses who do not report adequately. And this is concerning - a recent study by the Monash Centre for Financial Studies found that more than one-third of the ASX 300 listed company reports reviewed failed to meet the minimum reporting standard.**

“More than a third of the reviewed statements received a rating of either E or F, the lowest ratings. This is disappointing given the fact that the reviewed statements represented the largest companies listed on the ASX. . . . In many statements, it appears that the low disclosure quality was due to the lack of understanding of the company’s exposure to modern slavery risk and the lack of commitment of resources to assess and address risks,” Dr Nga Pham, lead researcher in the study told Outland Denim.

When it came to the garment industry specifically, Dr Pham explained that there was a general “lack of effort to map out the extended supply chains. Not all companies fully describe their tier-one suppliers and very few go beyond tier one,” and that “typical bad labour practices in the garment industry are forced labour (the practice known in certain locations for cotton farming and production), underpayment, excessive overtime work, and extremely poor working conditions, due to the pressure to cut costs and compete in the sector.”?

One thing we want to make clear is that modern slavery does not always equal garment worker exploitation or underpayment, they are nuanced issues and each situation is as individual as the human it impacts. But, both are exploitation, and when organisations are forced to look into modern slavery in their supply chain, it's the first step to identifying any kind of worker exploitation no matter the category it falls under.

“The Modern Slavery Act has raised awareness of the prevalence of social injustices around us. It also guides companies to have better frameworks, systems, and policies for due diligence and remediation of not only modern slavery practices but also other types of labour exploitations. In many cases, exploitative practices such as underpayment and bad recruitment practices can be early indicators of modern slavery practice over time,” explains Pham.

So the Act is progress but yet again it becomes the shopper’s responsibility to look up what brands are submitting their report and doing the right thing. An unrealistic weight to put on consumers.

In speaking on the next steps she would like to see, Dr Pham recommended that the Australian government construct a thorough review of the Act, invest in its compliance monitoring capacity, offer businesses reporting guidance and templates, and offer guidance on the consequences of non-compliance. She also explained that businesses need to start creating connection with their supply chain beyond tier one to understand the risks workers may experience - focusing on humanity and duty of care over business reputation.

“Remediation should focus on the victim and their family first. What we have seen in many statements is that companies say they would terminate the contract with the suppliers if there are modern slavery risks/incidents. Terminating the contract does not help eradicate the root cause of modern slavery practices,” said Pham.

This Fashion Revolution week, we are handing the microphone over to the researchers, lawmakers, lawyers and unsung advocates who are fighting everyday to push for stronger legislation so that you never have to ask "Who Made My Clothes?" ever again.?

?? A huge thank you to @graceaforrest @walkfree @rightslab @monash_uni @chriscrewthermp @antislaveryoz @unsw_law @beslaveryfree @ijmaus @ijm for your continued commitment to social justice in fashion, and all industries.

But of course, the most important voice in this conversation, and one that we cannot forget in building both solutions and understanding, is the voice of the people who make our clothes. I’m hopeful that we as an industry will continue to provide opportunities for wearers to connect with makers, as often the story of social injustice is told in statistics. And so I leave you with a message from Outland Denim production team member Soboen, just one of the lives you have touched by wearing your Outlands.

Before, my life was so difficult when I worked with the garment factory. But since I came to work with Outland I feel l love working here and the factory has a good policy and conditions for the employees.

I have been able to share the education at Outland Denim with my family and my sister, who has a small child who’s always sick, about good hygiene and healthy eating. I told them that I need to save money for my future too because I have learnt about how to manage money.

I can send some money that I get from employment at Outland to my parents at home and also save some money for my future expectation. With education here, I believe that I can use it in my daily life as needed.

I just want to say thank you so much to the people who buy and wear the jean or any Outland product. When you say Outland products are easy and soft to wear, you know I feel so proud and happy with what we make. Thank you for always support Outland products.

This is the kind of life-transforming, generational change that the $3 trillion powerhouse of the fashion industry can create when we mix business with humanity.

We look forward to the last time we are ever asked "What can consumers do to shop more ethically?" We look forward to the day where they simply have no other choice.?

Visit us online to learn more about how your Outlands were made and the people who made them. #GoodForHumanity

* Global Slavery Index, 2018, Walk Free, https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/

?** Modern Slavery Statement Disclosure Quality, 2021, Monash Centre for Financial Studies (MCFS)? https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2652887/MCFS-Research-brief_Modern-Slavery-Statement-ASX100-3-1.pdf