This isn’t an article about what women should or shouldn’t wear. It’s about understanding the hidden costs behind the clothes we buy and who truly pays the price before they reach our hands.
A Feminised Industry Built on Inequality
From home sewing to mass production, fashion has always been a highly feminised industry. Historically, garment making was domestic labour untilq industrialisation moved production into factories, with women as the primary workforce. Today, approximately 80% of garment workers worldwide are women, primarily in countries across the Global South like Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Yet despite their dominance in the industry, women hold very little decision-making power—most creative directors of major fashion houses are still white men.
In factories, these workers face poverty wages, unsafe conditions, and a complete lack of basic labour protections. In some cases, they are penalised for attempting to unionise or advocate for better rights—a 2022 report by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre found that garment workers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka faced increased gender-based violence and threats when organising for better wages.
The Marketing Machine: Selling Empowerment While Exploiting Women
Fashion doesn’t just employ women—it relentlessly targets them as consumers. The industry tells women that to be desirable, relevant, and empowered, they need to follow trends. This creates a toxic cycle of overconsumption, financial pressure, and unattainable beauty standards, all while fast fashion companies rake in billions.
Meanwhile, these same brands print slogans like "The Future is Female" on t-shirts made by women who live in a precarious conditions. This hypocrisy exposes the gap between the feminist image the industry sells and the systemic exploitation it enables.
The Garment Workers: Exploitation in the Supply Chain
For many women in the Global South, garment work is one of the only available employment options. But these jobs come with brutal realities:
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Low wages: In Bangladesh, the minimum wage for garment workers is $75 per month, far below a liveable income.
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Unsafe conditions: From the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 that killed over 1,100 workers to ongoing reports of factory fires, the industry has a deadly track record.
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Harassment and abuse: In a 2021 study by the Worker Rights Consortium, more than half of surveyed garment workers in Asian factories reported experiencing gender-based violence at work.
Brands continue to profit while refusing to take responsibility for the treatment of workers in their supply chains. Fast fashion, at its core, thrives on the economic vulnerability of women.
The Environmental Burden: A Feminist Crisis
Fast fashion isn’t just a human rights issue—it’s also an environmental disaster, with women disproportionately affected. The industry is responsible for 20% of global wastewater and 10% of global carbon emissions, according to the United Nations. Many of the waste and pollution sites are located in the Global South, where women are often the primary caretakers of their families and communities.
In Ghana and Chile, for example, mountains of discarded clothing from the West are flooding local landfills and beaches, making life unlivable for residents. Meanwhile, the climate crisis—worsened by the fashion industry—has led to mass displacement, particularly affecting women who are already responsible for securing food and water. According to UN data, 80% of people displaced by climate change are women.
If we consider the fact that environmental destruction disproportionately affects women, then we must also view sustainable fashion as a feminist issue.
What Can We Do? A Feminist Approach to Fashion
If we want fashion to align with feminist values, we need systemic change. Here’s where we can start:
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Support ethical, women-led brands that prioritise fair wages and sustainability.
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Demand transparency from major fashion brands—where are their clothes made, and who is making them?
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Buy less, choose better. Quality over quantity should be the new normal.
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Amplify the voices of garment workers and support their right to unionise and fight for fair treatment.
Conclusion: Feminism and Fashion Must Go Hand in Hand
Fast fashion isn’t just about cheap clothes; it’s about who suffers so we can consume at this rate. A truly feminist approach to fashion means questioning the systems that enable exploitation to flourish and choosing alternatives that empower rather than oppress. If we choose to consume, then let’s do so; but it’s crucial to know the full story and be able to make informed decisions that align with our values, because nothing feels better than dressing in line with your principles.