Sweatshops

In fashion class we have recently started learned about sweatshops, and their impact on the modern day world. The garment industry is one of the largest industries in and world, therefore cheap labor is what this business strives on. A sweatshop is defined as a factory where workers are treated poorly. This may include low salaries, long hours of work with no breaks, and physical or emotional abuse. The problem is, most companies own millions of factories around the world, and it is hard to specify which factories are sweatshops and which are not. Sweatshop workers are mainly women and children. Almost 90% of workers are young girls or women. Women are hired since it is acceptable for other employers to rape them, if they are not working to the set standard. Workers are also paid extremely low wages, in a worst case scenario a worker may make as little as six cents an hour. The worst sweatshop runners include Disney, The Gap, Guess, J.C Penny, Nike, Wal-Mart, and Victoria's Secret. These are just a few of the thousands of companies that rely on sweatshops to produce their garments. This proves that most garments that are mass produced are made in sweatshops. Overall, this makes it difficult for consumers to purchase clothes that have not been manufactured in sweatshops.