Behind the Seams

Two stories, one from Bangladesh and another from Indonesia. In both places, family needs meant that garment factory work was the best option from a very young age, despite other dreams and talents. Confronting the realities of exploitation and abuse in those workplaces brought profound realisations of collective possibilities, and also of personal strengths.   Links and contacts Griffith Review:...

One story from Myanmar. An accident in a garment factory has profound impacts on a woman's work, family, and social life, and shows up the attitudes of those with power in stark relief. Resistance and persistence bring some wins, but challenges remain immense, especially under Myanmar's military dictatorship.   Links and contacts Griffith Review: griffithreview.com Matthew Abud (producer): tasi-so...

Two stories of workers from Myanmar in Mae Sot, across the Thailand border. One finds life becomes suddenly precarious when her factory closes after 20-plus years, with full severance pay denied. Another flees the brutal crackdowns of Myanmar's military dictatorship, and learns to sew from scratch in middle age. For both, navigating precarity demands determination in tumultuous times.   Links &amp...

This episode comprises two interviews: firstly, with a labour rights researcher about what the rise of Shein, the global online fast fashion behemoth expanding at a dizzying rate, mean for workers in its home base in southern China? And Clean Clothes' Regional Urgent Appeals Coordinator for Southeast Asia, Niki Gamara, talks campaign cases and strategy, and how past victories can inspire in the fa...