An industry first database is launching to map out every garment factory in Bangladesh
Providing transparency and accountability.
Since the Rana Plaza collapse, there’s been a serious push for big clothing retailers to pay more attention to the well-being of their workers.
And while we’ve seen positive steps taken toward ensuring our clothes are made in safe work environments, there’s still a long way to go.
Four years on from the global garment industry’s deadliest incident, a new initiative is working to make companies more accountable and the industry more transparent.
Earlier this week, a project to map out all of Bangladesh’s clothing factories was announced. DRFM-B (Digital RMG Factory Mapping in Bangladesh) will list every single garment factory on a Google maps-type interface. Each map point will then list the location, number of employees, product types, export countries, factory building structure, trade union information, certifications and more for every single Bangladeshi factory that makes clothing.
Run by BRAC University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, the project has been funded by the C&A Foundation, which is working to transform the fashion industry.
The map is set to go live in 2018 and will act as a database for consumers, watchdog organisations and brands to access information that will make stakeholders more accountable.
“This will be the first industry-wide database in the world providing this much real time detail on garment factories,” C&A Foundation program manager, Naureen Chowdhury, told Fashionista. “The initiative signals a push for transformative industry change through transparency and traceability, which we believe leads to long-term industry advancements and improved working conditions.”
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