@ skipweasel Rock star economist Jeff Sachs and NYT columnist Nick Kristof both say that one of the best ways to lift people out of poverty is to educate girls/women. Birth rates drop and women tend to make better decisions with regards to the future of their children than men do.
@ Alex Great point. Most people assume our clothes are made in "sweatshops." Personally, I hate the term. Not all garment factories in developing countries are sweatshops. Some are good, safe place to work and provide a standard of living that is at or above the country's average. I met with several factory owners during global quest and not a single one of them failed to mention the squeeze brands and buyers are putting on them. One owner in Bangladesh said that his profits have been cut in half over the last few years and he didn't know how much longer he could operate. I think what needs to happen is that brands need to establish long term relationships with factories that are monitored by a third party. Also, we as consumers need to educate ourselves as to which brands are making the effort to support the people making their products.
@ Ray the average worker at ACO starts at $8.50/hour. That doesn't seem too outrageous to me, how about you? To put the industry in perspective: Mexico is losing the jobs that we lost because cheaper labor exists in places like Bangladesh and China. The fact that the process of making garments is so labor intensive (85 people have a hand in sewing together one pair of blue jeans) leads to the industry seeking out the lowest wage.
@ Geekazoid it is still possible to buy American made products even though only about 3% of clothes are still made here. American Apparel is the nation's largest clothing manufacturer. The company produces all of their products near LA. You probably have seen their billboards in which the women on them aren't wearing any of the clothes they are trying to sell.
@ wookielover the really heartbreaking part is that many of them don't have a better option. The garment industry is crucial in countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia where it accounts for 3/4 of all exports. Without it life might be worse. I know that's hard to imagine, but the realities in these places are harsh. Still, I think these workers could be treated and paid better.
@ Christophe In my mind poverty is just one bit of bad luck (illness, job loss, lost crop, robbery) away from hunger. Unfortunately, I think the current state of the world's economy will reverse some of this upward mobility. I read reports of rice cost as much as $15/month in Bangladesh this past summer as food prices skyrocketed. And I recently talked with my translator in China who has lost contact with Dewan and Zhu Chun. He suspects they lost their jobs and had to move back to their village.
@ gorgehu Why is it that anytime I post something about the garment/shoe industry in China someone leaves a comment how they can find me a very good deal just for me?
@ Ted My interactions with the workers were often funny. We laughed more than we were serious. Of course most of the time the laughter was at my expense. But what can you expect when you visit someone's country because your underwear were made there?
@ Ray I don't press my values on their lives. Throughout the book I don't even press my values on the reader. My goal was to introduce readers to the people that make our clothes not preach at them. However, calling someone's home a "third world hellhole" is pressing your values/beliefs on them. Also, I bet you couldn't look Arifa in the eye as she holds here daughter Sadia, who awoke with hunger pains, and tell her "You make $24/month...good for you!"
@ Ted - The experience didn't leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy. When I left the kids, it was kind of sad and I felt a little guilty that I was heading off to my hotel in a taxi and they were back on the streets looking for trash to recycle.
@ shecky - I guess it was both.
@ gail pink - I fed them pizza. They didn't care for it much.
@ Alex Great point. Most people assume our clothes are made in "sweatshops." Personally, I hate the term. Not all garment factories in developing countries are sweatshops. Some are good, safe place to work and provide a standard of living that is at or above the country's average. I met with several factory owners during global quest and not a single one of them failed to mention the squeeze brands and buyers are putting on them. One owner in Bangladesh said that his profits have been cut in half over the last few years and he didn't know how much longer he could operate. I think what needs to happen is that brands need to establish long term relationships with factories that are monitored by a third party. Also, we as consumers need to educate ourselves as to which brands are making the effort to support the people making their products.
@ Geekazoid it is still possible to buy American made products even though only about 3% of clothes are still made here. American Apparel is the nation's largest clothing manufacturer. The company produces all of their products near LA. You probably have seen their billboards in which the women on them aren't wearing any of the clothes they are trying to sell.
@ wookielover the really heartbreaking part is that many of them don't have a better option. The garment industry is crucial in countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia where it accounts for 3/4 of all exports. Without it life might be worse. I know that's hard to imagine, but the realities in these places are harsh. Still, I think these workers could be treated and paid better.
@ Christophe In my mind poverty is just one bit of bad luck (illness, job loss, lost crop, robbery) away from hunger. Unfortunately, I think the current state of the world's economy will reverse some of this upward mobility. I read reports of rice cost as much as $15/month in Bangladesh this past summer as food prices skyrocketed. And I recently talked with my translator in China who has lost contact with Dewan and Zhu Chun. He suspects they lost their jobs and had to move back to their village.
@ gorgehu Why is it that anytime I post something about the garment/shoe industry in China someone leaves a comment how they can find me a very good deal just for me?
@ Ted My interactions with the workers were often funny. We laughed more than we were serious. Of course most of the time the laughter was at my expense. But what can you expect when you visit someone's country because your underwear were made there?
@ Ray I don't press my values on their lives. Throughout the book I don't even press my values on the reader. My goal was to introduce readers to the people that make our clothes not preach at them. However, calling someone's home a "third world hellhole" is pressing your values/beliefs on them. Also, I bet you couldn't look Arifa in the eye as she holds here daughter Sadia, who awoke with hunger pains, and tell her "You make $24/month...good for you!"
@ shecky - I guess it was both.
@ gail pink - I fed them pizza. They didn't care for it much.
Thanks for the great comments.