followthethings.com
Fashion
“62p An Hour“
A front page newspaper exposé by Ben Ellery published in the Mail on Sunday.
A video summary of the article by AJ+ is embedded above. Read the original article here.
The British high street fashion retailer Whistles collaborates with fashion magazine Elle and gender equality charity The Fawcett Society to sell a slogan t-shirt saying ‘This is what a feminist looks like.’ Their publicity campaign includes high profile British politicians (e.g. Harriet Harman & Ed Milliband) and celebrities (e.g. Emma Watson & Benedict Cumberbach) wearing them. The Mail on Sunday newspaper sends a reporter to the factory in Mauritius where the women who make them are paid 62p an hour. They are also women are photographed wearing them, and talk both about their work and what feminism means to them. The newspaper makes this front page news. The credibility of the Fawcett Society’s campaign and the celebrities supporting it are questioned. How can you declare your support for feminism by wearing a t-shirt that relies of the exploitation of women? Fair point perhaps. But what are the motives of the newspaper? Is their critique pro- or anti-feminist? Do they care that much for the workers? And is the situation as bad as they make out? Either way, Whistles immediately removes the shirts from sale. It’s a huge embarrassment.
Page reference: Jennifer Hart (2024) 62p An Hour (taster). followthethings.com/62p-an-hour.shtml (last accessed <insert date here>)
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.
Continue reading 62p An Hour