Does This Make My Human Rights Look Small?
6:21 PM
"Does this make my butt look big?"
"Does the color bring out my eyes"
"What about the shoes?"
Ahhhh yes, some of life's eternal questions. In a world where image is everything (see previous), we all do our best as consumers to appease the masses and bring out the smokin' hot babes inside us all (language and diction to be discussed at another time). I believe, that when we look good, we feel good about ourselves, when we feel good about ourselves we're more effective. Feminine socialization aside, I enjoy "getting ready:" putting on make-up, doing my hair, and dressing up.
Pacing in front of our closets, pulling items off hangers to try on, only to leave our at-one-time clean room a mess may be a part of our everyday routine (or maybe it's just me) but, even with all the time and energy and effort we put into getting dressed, too often we make the wrong clothing choices. Now, I am not talking about shape or size, cut or fit; I am not talking about patterns or pleats (although these, too, should be avoided when possible). I'm talking about consumer choices.
We ask about how our bodies look when draped in articles of clothing, as we awkwardly try on item after item in a too-small poorly-lit department store dressing room, but never do we ask where our clothing comes from, or how our buying those items might being affecting lives.
We ask about how our bodies look when draped in articles of clothing, as we awkwardly try on item after item in a too-small poorly-lit department store dressing room, but never do we ask where our clothing comes from, or how our buying those items might being affecting lives.
As the effects of a not-so-long-along recession are still felt by many, there are tons of questions and concerns that go into the purchasing plans of many households. With the ambition of finding "true" value we forget the production and fabrication costs that might exist outside of the "rolled-back" prices we see.
Yesterday, more than 2,000 men and women were working in the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh when it collapsed. In the aftermath of the collapse - with more than 200 reported dead, and many more still trapped in the rubble - the questions above become both more (the later) and less (the first) significant.
What are the true costs of the inexpensive items of clothing that start in places like Savar, Bangladesh and end up thrown on our bedroom floors?
This tragedy is not an isolated one - in the past several months alone there have been reports, again and again, of clothing manufacturers in this region of Bangladesh that have been destroyed or damaged causing a large number of fatalities. According to the Clean Clothes Campaign, more than seven hundred workers have been killed in similar accidents - from collapsing foundations to massive fires, within the past decade alone.
These other instances like, yesterday's, could have been avoided. Lives could have been saved. Had proper building codes been a priority, had evacuation plans been made, had the dignity of the human manufacturers been more greatly valued than the t-shirts they processed on the lines.
As Western consumers, we are caught up in dressing up and paying down - the temptation to look our best in this hemisphere depletes the ability of men and women to live their best lives in the other. Imagine going to work in a facility that wasn't structurally sound? Imagine making only $0.21 an hour - or scrimping and saving for a mere $36 a month.
While I strongly believe that it is up to the industry and associates to make choices that coincide with the division of Human Rights, I also know that we as consumers have to start making smarter choices, that we have the power to demand a better life for these men and women. We have to begin to feel more comfortable with what goes into making our clothes.
Here is the challenge: when we purchase items made in Bangladesh we are supporting their industrial development, with millions of Bangladeshis living in poverty, supporting this economic development brings about jobs and livelihood. However, when we push too hard, when we don't think low costs are low enough, then we support the oppression and dangerous conditions of these facilities.
Human Right advice from this self-proclaimed fashionista: ask questions, check labels, and do your research. Get involved and let your favorite brands know what's important to you! After all, compassion is everyone's color!
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