Opinion Ed, No. ❸
April 13, 2023
Fast Fashion—Not So Fashionable
Power, Vulnerability, and Racial Capitalism in South Asia
Edited by Malini Narayan and Pradyumna Sapre
Have you ever wondered where your clothes come from? Whether it is an H&M sweatshirt or a Zara tank top? Why are these garments made of a 100% cotton are so cheap? Why do your clothes have a ‘Made in Bangladesh,’ ‘Made in Sri Lanka,’ ‘Made in India,’ or ‘Made in Pakistan’ tag? It is becoming exceedingly important to consider who is making the clothes we wear; yet, this issue is often overlooked by our trend-setting (and trend-chasing) generation.
South Asian countries have stood at the forefront of garment export in the world, with Bangladesh leading the pack. Six out of ten clothes in the world are made in Bangladesh. Garment export comprises 80% of Bangladesh’s economical export and employs 4 million workers out of which 90% are women. These statistics might suggest that the garment industry is empowering—offering financial independence to the Bangladeshi women it employs. However, behind this virtuous exterior, lies a dark reality which is concealed by the face of strategic advertising and branding.
Aerial view of a factory in Bangladesh. Image Credit: Fahad Faisal
To put it plainly, the garment industry is a post-colonial venture: it is the immediate product of colonialism and the constant living reminder of South Asia’s colonial past. Especially in Bangladesh, the rise of the garment industry was a direct product of the partition of India and the fall of East Pakistan in the years following the independence of India and Pakistan. With the birth of Bangladesh, jute and tea were prioritized as the most export-oriented goods.
The perils of flood, falling jute fiber prices and a considerable decline in world demand, resulted in the country’s economy deteriorating. Soon after, the garment-production sector started to flourish and took over the country’s economy. Unmonitored by international bodies, the garment manufacturing venture became a colonial venture which was created by the West, for the West, and at no cost to the West.
This industry has been formulated to disadvantage women of color and underprivileged minors through the legitimization of unregulated capitalism and modern day slavery encoded in international law. The Bangladeshi government’s unquestioning support of the industry has resulted in a blatant dismantling of political frameworks which attempt to support the factory workers. The very fact that export garments have the same road rights as ambulances in Bangladesh is a matter of great concern.
Bangladeshi woman transporting fabric across a water body polluted with textile waste. Image Credit: No Brand CustomBangladeshi workers in a garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka. Image Credit: Source Unknown
Health and Education For All
“Access to health care overall in Bangladesh is for the upper and middle classes, because they have a private system, the lower classes rely heavily on government health care services, which don’t have all the resources necessary to provide for every citizen.”
While the solution for this global issue might require endless efforts in international and local policy and trade reforms, there are many organizations and individuals who are driving considerable change in the conditions of the garment workers in Bangladesh.
A pioneering project by Dr. Ruhul Abid, through
his non-governmental organization Health and Education for All (HAEFA), was conceived in Providence at Brown University. Abid’s initiative aims to provide access to healthcare to disadvantaged groups of people, especially ready-made garment factory workers who oft en cannot afford to visit doctors as they typically work eleven-hours a day, six days of the week. In an interview Abid outlines the public health crisis in Bangladesh which worsens the conditions for garment workers.
Sewn garments in a Bangladeshi warehouse after the dyeing process. Image Credit: Reverie Page
In 2016, Abid developed ‘NIROG’ which translates as ‘healthy’ in Bengali. It is an electronic medical record system which is portable, solar-powered and does not need electricity or the internet to work. It allows easier follow-up care and patient tracking through photograph and fingerprint identification. This system eliminates the intermediaries of hand-written prescriptions and the burden of transcribing them thereafter.
The technology introduced by HAEFA has helped over 200,000 people in Bangladesh get direct access to healthcare. In 2020, Dr. Abid was nominated to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in Bangladesh.
Textile off cuts in Bangladesh. Image Credit: Mohammed Anwarul, Kabir Choudhury via The GuardianBangladeshi workers at a garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka. Image Credit: NurPhoto via The Guardian
Is it too ambitious to imagine a more equitable and just future for the women of Bangladesh?
Is this what the neoliberal utopian vision of free trade looks like? When local laws favor the raging capitalist agenda of the West, how can we ever expect progress towards sweatshop abolition and human rights enforcement? Local authorities portray the subjugated bodies of women as battle grounds for empowerment and social justice: where the myth is peddled through the idea that women are uplift ing their families out of poverty, to soft en the harsh realities of exploitation, abuse and oppression. It is a common misconception that the women who work at these factories choose to do so. Global fashion brands who attempt to justify minimum payment and overworking of garment workers through the idea of female empowerment and upliftment should be urged to reassess their values and philosophies keeping in mind ethical trade and production.
Bangladeshi woman transporting fabric across a water body polluted with textile waste. Image Credit: No Brand Custom
While this topical issue has gained increasing traction in the current climate of social justice news, there is a need for more global attention to instigate greater local pressure and catalyze change for the disadvantaged groups of peoples involved.
As consumers in the West, we must be conscious of the histories of pain and oppression which are interwoven with the fabrics we shroud ourselves in. Conscious capitalism might be the compromise we settle at — moving towards a future where we collectively change our attitudes towards consumption through personal initiative and mindful living.
Ruhul Abid, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School and Principal Investigator at the Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiothoracic Surgery Division at Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Abid has combined careers in research, global health, and teaching of graduate and medical students, and has been utilizing his extensive experience to advance cardiovascular medicine and global health research. Many faculty members, medical students, and undergraduate students from Brown University have been actively involved in Dr. Abid’s global and international health programs abroad.