The Good News First

Australia’s ethical fashion movement has grown considerably in the last decade. According to research by Monash University, we’re spending more than ever on ethically produced clothing. And now Baptist World Aid’s 2021 Ethical Consumer Report has found that close to 90 per cent of Australians want to change their fashion consumption habits to be more ethical.

Want the good news? The fashion industry is listening.

Some companies have made immense progress in response to changing consumer attitudes, including heightened transparency and investments in labour rights and environmental programs. Even so, a lot of work remains.

We live in a world where 40.3 million people are trapped in slavery. This is not what God intends. The world God longs for is a world that is just and caring. A world where workers are treated with dignity, because they are people who are made in his image.

Now For The Bad News

Sadly, less than five per cent of companies surveyed for the 2019 Ethical Fashion Report pay their workers a living wage, making it impossible for them to live full and flourishing lives. The COVID crisis has exacerbated the struggles facing garment workers, with millions deprived of further wages and benefits.

Most people begin their ethical fashion journey by changing their personal buying habits – this is a great place to start. But transforming the global fashion industry, for good, is no small task. We each need to do more and we all have our role to play. More than ever, we need to call on the brands we love to do more to protect their workers and care for God’s creation. Here’s how:

Educate Yourself

One of the scariest parts of advocacy is feeling out of your depth when speaking about it with others. There’s a simple solution: learn. Take every opportunity to read up on the labour rights and sustainability issues facing the fashion industry. That way, you’re equipped for those tough conversations. Here are eight tips for having difficult conversations around ethical fashion. Or check out the Ethical Fashion Report: COVID Edition to find out more about how this global pandemic is affecting the fashion industry.

Speak Up And Share Your Story

A good way to start advocating is to tell someone close about what matters to you, and why it should matter to them. This can come in many forms – you might tag a family member, friend or colleague in a social media post about the experience of garment workers or bring it up in conversation. When you next go shopping with a friend, chat about your clothes purchasing habits. Tell them about tools that help you to spot the more ethical fashion brands, like the COVID Fashion Guide. Explain what’s behind your thoughtful shopping choices and conscious consumption.

Contact A Brand

Contacting your favourite brand is the best way to let them know that its customers care.

A post on a company’s social media page is public and visible to all. Not only are you advocating to the brand, you’re also raising awareness of the issue for hundreds (or in some cases) thousands of other customers. Our grade sharer tool helps you to speak up for ethical fashion on your social networks. Check it out, here.

Alternatively, writing a letter to a brand has the advantage of allowing you to go into some detail about the issues you’re asking it to address. With this form of advocacy, you lose the visibility that comes through social media, but you can often engage in a more meaningful dialogue.

How to have a meaningful conversation with a brand

  1. Know what the brand is doing to support workers in its supply chain – and where the gaps are. Look on the brand’s website for a Corporate Social Responsibility page, a Sustainability Report or other evidence of ethical sourcing work.
  2. Try to pick one or two key labour rights or environmental issues to ask the company about. This way you can ask specific questions, and (hopefully) receive more detailed responses.
  3. Recognise the positive efforts of companies to improve labour conditions and sustainability in their supply chain, as well as continuing to call for improvement.
  4. Get in touch with us! If you’re still unsure of how to advocate to a brand or continue the conversation, we’re here to help.

Get Creative

There are many other ways you can get your whole community involved in advocating for garment workers. You might choose to write a letter to the editor of your local paper or coordinate a group advocacy event where everyone contacts their favourite brand. Another option is to organise a presentation for your church, book club, sporting club – the sky’s the limit – about the issues facing garment workers and urge them to get involved.

Finally, you can fundraise. The COVID crisis is not over for millions of garment workers. God has been so gracious to us, here in Australia, and we have an opportunity to give out of the abundance that he has blessed us with. Baptist World Aid is currently raising funds to help families who have been affected by COVID. Donate here.

Big change doesn’t come overnight. But the actions you take can have far-reaching consequences for people and God’s creation. Every new attempt to create change is a step in the right direction. So, just start your advocacy journey in the way that feels right to you!

However you choose advocate, we’d love to hear about it! Get in touch at [email protected] to tell us about your advocacy journey.