Features

International Women’s Day: Meet the Amazing Women Supporting the Women in Our Factories

by Kelly Morris, Guest Writer

This year to celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the women who work with us through The Reassurance Network, an organisation focused on improving working conditions in our factories in the UK and around the world 🌎.

Their work is crucial in creating an inclusive and equal culture that supports women’s rights and improves communities on a local and global scale.

We caught up with four of the inspiring women working to improve things for the people making the clothes we love. Scroll down to find out more about the incredible job they do, as well as the challenges they face and those they’ve overcome. ✨.

1. Irina

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role?
“I’m Irina, 44 years old and I live in Bucharest. I’ve been part of the amazing TRN (The Reassurance Network) team as an auditor, assessor, consultant and admin support since 2017. My passion for ethical responsibility in supply chains started 19 years ago, and since then I’ve worn multiple hats, from CSR manager to consultant for a shoe factory and auditor for various brands. This experience enabled me to get inside knowledge and understanding of the supply chains, as well as perfecting my communication skills.”

What is the most rewarding part of your role?
“Since joining TRN, I’ve conducted 350 brands’ audits and assessments in 13 countries, allowing me to interact with various cultures, meet fantastic people and have a better understanding of responsibility in the industry. 
The most rewarding part is feeling I can support people and organisations, which aligns perfectly with my motto, “how can I help?”.

How has being a woman impacted your career?
“Being a woman in the industry has been a challenge, as it is for all working single mums out here. There were also cases where I initially felt being a woman would make interacting with male management from various cultures difficult, however, being professional helped me overcome any doubts.” 

Where have you seen the greatest positive change?
“The greatest positive change in the industry is that women are now empowered through education, training and knowledge. I saw some very proud ladies who, after receiving financial support and training, were able to save money and buy their own piece of land to build their own house. I could never describe the pride on their faces.”

2. Maryn

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role and how you got here?
“After I majored in Chinese Literature and graduated from university, I was an Editor for a magazine before starting work for The Reassurance Network. I've spent over 10 years working in different factories in the supply chain as an auditor and consultant, and I’m very passionate about my work.  
When I started my role, I thought I was there to ‘save’ workers from sweatshop owners. Looking back, it was a ridiculous stereotype, but also a huge motivation for me to start the work. I began noticing all the factories – in big cities and small towns, in beautiful buildings and shabby village rooms or someone’s garage – with countless people whose life experiences were so different than mine. My feminist consciousness started from that stage, when I realised women in these circumstances face problems many people never have to.”

What parts of your role give you the most satisfaction?
“The most important moments in my role are when I’m able to listen to and help people. When people trust me enough to bravely show me their challenges, mistakes and weaknesses, that vulnerability gives me the motivation to try my best to help them.”

How has being a woman proved an advantage or a challenge in your career?
“In the garment industry, most production workers, HR staff and accountants are women, so it’s easier for me to understand their situation and difficulties. I sometimes play the role of explaining their situation to male management, which helps solve the problem. I try my best to treat everyone as a unique human being, not a man or a woman, nor a manager or a worker. 
The stereotype of women being more empathetic and careful, and less aggressive and threatening, often works in my favour, especially in the factories I go to for the first time. However, I do feel that I need to be more professional than my male co-workers to be recognised as a specialist in my area."

Where have you seen the greatest positive change?
"Workers’ living standards have improved a lot, with many able to buy apartments and cars. Factories are no longer a place to make money when there’s no way out, and the relationship between boss and worker has improved, too.
Due to labour shortages and workers’ awareness of their rights and obligations thanks to social media, employers are forced to improve standards. Managers and workers have more of a two-way relationship with both boundaries and common goals.
One factory in Wuhan, called Mom’s Factory, is run by a woman who only hires mothers – they can take their kids to the factory, too. It’s so important for women to be able to work and take care of their children. Some factories have a licensed kindergarten, but it’s still very rare in the industry.”

3. Bishnupriya

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role and how you got here?
“I’m based on the outskirts of New Delhi, travel to Bangladesh for work and I speak fluent Bangla. My understanding of the fast fashion industry comes from over 20 years of experience working in sampling, production, merchandising and social compliance.
The medium garment manufacturers first started being audited in 2006 -2007. At this time, factory management was reluctant to share information about their vendors and the processes that were being outsourced. After six years of being audited, I witnessed the pressure applied to manufacturers to achieve compliance expectations. These practices did little to help the workforce or create improvements and put an extra financial burden on the manufacturer.
I wanted to help the industry migrate to a different platform, so in 2013 I joined TRN as an associate. We design programmes to help improve work culture and closely support factory management to achieve continuous improvements in their daily routines. I am currently working with different brands to improve working conditions and human rights within its supply chain."

What is the most rewarding part of your role, or your biggest achievement to date?
“There have been many moments that have made me smile. From not comprehending social compliance, to understanding it myself and educating workers on their own rights, the experience has been extremely rewarding — it’s the moment when workers choose to work with a sense of ownership in the factory that long lasting change happens.”

How has being a woman proved an advantage, or a challenge, in your career?
“I started my career in the garment manufacturing industry in the early 90s. Coming from an armed forces background, I was never subject to discrimination. However, early on in my career I was faced with gender discrimination and I would only get jobs where my creative side was considered.
I understood that I would have to cross these professional obstacles to experience growth. After years of sticking to my principles, in 2012 I quit the production side of garment manufacturing as a GM heading up a factory of 600 workers and shifted my attention to social compliance.”

Where have you seen the greatest positive change?
“After decades of constant auditing, the positive impact I’ve seen is that workers are now aware of their rights. Though they’re coached during audits, when they face a situation alone, they are fearless in calling the hotlines and ensuring their voices are heard.”

4. Jill

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role and how you got here?
“I’ve worked in the textile industry for many years under different job roles, including machinist, supervisor, floor and product manager, sales director and QC. I’m also a mum to four grown-up children, as well as having a couple of grandchildren and a dog to help me chill out!
My work has taken me to Romania, Morocco and India and, as part of my role of Head of Quality, I came face to face with so many issues in the factories, I began to question why they existed. I was asked to look at ethical trade, why there were so many issues and why these weren’t being reported accurately – what were the real issues and what could be done to resolve them? I decided to focus on ethical social auditing and have done this for the last 8 years. I was involved in the inception of the UK Fast Forward auditing methodology and have delivered these audits since.”

What is the most rewarding part of your role?
“Uncovering and openly reporting on working conditions, wage theft, lack of statutory benefits and lack of equality in factories. Also building trust with the workers, particularly women, who’ve been able to reach out to report their problems.”

How has being a woman proved a challenge in your career?
“Definitely a challenge in some cases. When I first started auditing, a male director of a business being audited refused to speak to me in the opening meeting, asking me if my husband knew I was talking to men as part of my job. He commented that women in his culture weren’t allowed to go out to work and that he didn’t want to work with me. I called the brand commissioning the audit and his account was suspended, he apologised and the audit was re-arranged with the brand present.
Being a woman has also proved an advantage, for example when female workers tell you they’re so proud the younger generation of women are out doing the jobs we do and how our regular audit visits have improved working conditions and pay.”

Where have you seen the greatest positive change?
“Media exposés and reports over the last few years have highlighted the inherent long-standing issues experienced by workers in the textile industry, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19.
This has resulted in a number of initiatives, such as the introduction of trade unions and the funding of community outreach workers in the textile industry. Brands are also now much more engaged with their supply chain to drive improvements, change payment terms, and support businesses throughout the year, especially with seasonal products.”



We thank these four strong, powerful and inspiring women for sharing their story and continuing to strive for better working conditions in our factories.