Spring Queen speaks to us about the people who make our clothes. As consumers of fashion, we should learn more about the lives of the people we are impacting though our consumer choices and actions.
How many workers in the Textile and Clothing sector are union members (therefore, have their rights represented and defended)?
30-40%
60-70%
70-80%
90%
How many workers make up the clothing and textile industry in South Africa?
Approximately 90 000
Approximately 200 000
Approximately 150 000
Approximately 70 000
90% of Clothing and Textile workers in South Africa are female. How does South Africa fare when it comes to equal pay? Choose the correct ranking of the following countries on the global gender gap index:
0%
0
A
0%
0
B
0%
0
C
0%
0
D
South Africa ranks quite high on the global gender gap index, and Textile and Clothing workers are relatively well paid compared to other sectors. However, the gender pay gap is still prevalent. On average, women in the general labour force earn:
25% less than men
The same as men
10% less than men
40% less than men
There are approximately 28,860 textile and clothing workers in Cape Town. How much does the garment industry contribute to the city’s economic output?
7%
35%
20%
1%
Which of the following statements is true?
Local Cape Town yarn manufacturer Sans Fibres supplies 80 percent of the sewing thread used in the world's apparel sewing operations.
Mpumalanga-based fabric mill Gelvenor Textiles, specialised in technical textiles, supplies more than 50 percent of the world's demand for parachute fabrics.
South Africa produces about 53% of the world's mohair.
South Africa produces about 40 000 tonnes of cotton a year.
Local clothing and textile firms find it near impossible to compete with the volumes of imported clothes and textiles that come from among others, China. What percentage of South Africa’s imports of clothing and textiles comes from China?
46%
82%
25%
58%
Which alternative to cotton uses less land and water to grow, produces a fabric which is more durable, gets softer over time and retains colour better?
Linen
Hemp
Bamboo
Jute
Which of these statements is false?
Cotton has a better than neutral carbon footprint
A single cotton bale can produce approximately 20 pairs of denim jeans or 67 t-shirts
South Africa’s cotton industry employs an estimated 65 500 workers
If you buy clothing, you are an active participant in the fashion industry.
So, what can you do to make your part in this more impactful?
Here are some ideas:
- Follow the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union on twitter for updates on their work and offer support for their initiatives.
- You can use your voice to put pressure on the brands you’re buying from to make sure that they are protecting their garment workers, ensuring that they are paid properly and working in safe conditions. Fashion Revolution has an email template you can use.
- If this is available to you, shop from companies that emphasise the importance of their employees, not just in the storefronts but on their factory floors. In supporting businesses that implement these practices, you are casting a vote for ethical practices, and for transparency and fairness in the textile and clothing industry to become the norm, and not the exception.
- Learn more about the “dark” side of fashion and textile industry on a global scale. This sector is one of the most exploitative, polluting and wasteful in the world. It lacks transparency, and is often a driver of exploitation and inequality - working conditions of labourers in the fast fashion textile industry are too often overlooked and ignored. Here are some places to start:
- If this is available to you, support South African designers and brands that count fair working conditions and wages and/or sustainability as their guiding principles. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are a few places to start:
Please feel free to add suggestions below!
Image credit: “Spectators at Spring Queen pageant, 2011,” Sequins, self and struggle archive, accessed June 6, 2020, http://archive.sequins-self-and-struggle.com/items/show/107.
If you buy clothing, you are an active participant in the fashion industry.
So, what can you do to make your part in this more impactful?
Here are some ideas:
- Follow the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union on twitter for updates on their work and offer support for their initiatives.
- You can use your voice to put pressure on the brands you’re buying from to make sure that they are protecting their garment workers, ensuring that they are paid properly and working in safe conditions. Fashion Revolution has an email template you can use.
- If this is available to you, shop from companies that emphasise the importance of their employees, not just in the storefronts but on their factory floors. In supporting businesses that implement these practices, you are casting a vote for ethical practices, and for transparency and fairness in the textile and clothing industry to become the norm, and not the exception.
- Learn more about the “dark” side of fashion and textile industry on a global scale. This sector is one of the most exploitative, polluting and wasteful in the world. It lacks transparency, and is often a driver of exploitation and inequality - working conditions of labourers in the fast fashion textile industry are too often overlooked and ignored. Here are some places to start:
- If this is available to you, support South African designers and brands that count fair working conditions and wages and/or sustainability as their guiding principles. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are a few places to start:
Please feel free to add suggestions below!
Image credit: “Spectators at Spring Queen pageant, 2011,” Sequins, self and struggle archive, accessed June 6, 2020, http://archive.sequins-self-and-struggle.com/items/show/107.
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