Harmful buyer practices are putting downward pressure on suppliers, and this in turn is being passed on to the female workers, as well as driving subcontracting. When lead times and payments are decreased, abuses such as sexual and physical abuse mentioned above increase for women within factories. Furthermore, auditing teams that lack gender diversity are found to be less effective than more diverse teams, which have been found to identify gendered issues more effectively. This further highlights why gender needs to be prioritised further within all corners of the fashion industry. THE BUSINESS CASE Gender equality has been increasingly prioritised and included on the global agenda. From the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal Number Five, ‘Gender Equality’, to The World Bank, International Labour Organisation, and many more, major world organisations recognise the need to act. Fashion brands must adapt to these circumstances and prioritise gender equality within their supply chains. There are widespread benefits involved for companies who take this step, financially as well as socially and ethically. Greater gender diversity within a company makes them more likely to outperform their competitors by up to 22%. Promoting gender equality within their supply chains can help firms perform better by reducing worker turnover and creating higher worker satisfaction, which contributes to greater efficiency and productivity. From the boardroom to the factory floor, the fashion industry cannot escape its gender equality issues. They affect millions of women working around the world. A lack of women in leadership no doubt has a profound effect on addressing many of these issues. Additionally, the large female consumer base has the power to positively impact gender equality within fashion, by shifting away from fast fashion and brands that lack transparency, and by making more conscious and sustainable purchases. A focus from firms and NGOs on gender diversity, sensitive policies and disaggregated data will continue to help identify and mitigate gender inequality within the industry. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 11 Ophelia Chidgey is a third-year Management Science PhD researcher and a member of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business. Her research focuses on gender equality and socially sustainable supply chain management within the garment industry. o.chidgey1@lancaster.ac.uk
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