Artistic Milliners Is Empowering Women
Artistic Milliners has grown from a small retail store, established in Pakistan in 1949, to become one of the top manufacturers of denim in the world. Additionally Artistic Milliners is one of the leaders in sustainable textile production—opening Pakistan’s first-ever LEED Certified garment factory, contributing some one million meters per month of closed loop denim manufacturing, and employing equipment to save on water and waste, among other efforts.
Along with a dedication to innovation and environmental sustainability, the company has focused on the empowerment of women, who dominate the workforce in global garment production at the factory level. Women make up about half of Artistic Milliners’ workforce, but find it harder to advance than the men who work there. Some of the projects dedicated to improving women’s lives through education and training, advancement opportunities, and other paths are the HERproject and P.A.C.E. Program. Artistic Milliners is the first and only denim company in Pakistan to run Gap Inc.’s Women Empowerment program, which stands for “Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement”.
Carved in Blue spoke with Faiza Jamil, Manager Corporate Social Responsibility at Artistic Milliners, about efforts there to improve worker conditions—which came into focus worldwide after the 2013 fire and collapse of Bangladesh factory Rana Plaza—and support women, at the mill and in the industry in general. She says she’s optimistic about progress for women in garment production, in part because consumers are demanding it. But she says that brands and manufacturers must take a series of steps to make that happen, by confronting the problems and communicating clearly to their customers about what they’re doing about it. “There is certainly progress and we are going in the right direction,” she says.
Carved in Blue: In the past, you’ve talked about how brands have been in search of sustainably produced fabrics. Are brands similarly seeking out fabrics produced in facilities that provide ethical wage levels and working conditions, or is the issue coming from mills and others companies in the supply chain?
Faiza: I think it’s both ways: both brands and manufacturers are increasingly focused on workers’ wellbeing and ethical wages. No self-respectable company nowadays would want to produce a sustainable fabric by exploiting its workers. This just doesn’t fit in the new identity of denim that is both good for the planet and good for the people who make it.
Carved in Blue: Are there any brands that have been particularly interested in this issue? Has this changed since the catastrophe of Rana Plaza?
Faiza: Almost all the major brands, but I’d like to specifically mention H&M. They are working very strategically on the fair wage program. I’d also like to mention Target Inc.—even though they aren’t directly working on wages per se, their work with Fairtrade Org. to pay premium to workers’ representatives has helped offset many major needs of the workers’ communities in their supply chain.
The issue was always there, but Rana Plaza became the name and face of the negligence and exploitation in the fashion industry. However, from 2014 to date, I have noticed most sincere and commendable work by many major fashion brands to change the things as they are. There is certainly progress and we are going in the right direction.
Carved in Blue: Do you believe that consumers will be increasingly interested in this aspect of garment production?
Faiza: Without a doubt. Already the focus on ethical fashion is consumer driven and the pressure will keep on rising. Millennials, who hold most of the buying power in the world, are already demanding honesty and transparency from their brands. This, combined with direct and open commentary on social media platforms, has made it impossible for either the brand or the consumer to look away from unethical side of fashion.
Carved in Blue: How can brands better communicate their empowerment of garment workers to consumers?
Faiza: As I said, communication has never been so easy before. A huge percentage of our consumer base feeds on stories that are a touch or a click away on their phones. Brands must also employ social media, use Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Narrate authentic and compelling stories, but don’t overlook the facts and statistics. Don’t exaggerate or oversell. Connect to the nerve of your consumers, who demand honesty and transparency form their brands.
Carved in Blue: You’ve also noted that sustainability requires investment in machinery and training. What kinds of investments have mills like Artistic Milliners had to make to empower garment workers, who are mostly women with a range of responsibilities to their communities and their families?
Faiza: We had to start from scratch. Empowerment starts with policies and procedures, but only truly makes an impact if workers are aware of their rights and have the courage to exercise them. For example, a women in the factory might be aware that harassment is a punishable offense, but might not have the courage to approach authorities out of shame or guilt.
This is where training and development comes in. We took up this area very strategically and made training and development part of our system. This led to capacity development in terms of state-of-the-art training room, a pool of in-house trainers and a timetable that allots specific slots for training throughout the year.
Apart from investment of time and money, we give women more leeway to come forward in other ways. For example, we provide them free lunch and transport etc. This is to counter the societal pressure on women to not be assertive for their career lives.
Carved in Blue: What has Artistic Milliners learned from the women themselves about how their conditions could be changed?
Faiza: When a woman comes out to work to earn for herself and family, this gives her a sense of power. However, what the women have told us repeatedly is that they not only want a chance to earn, but also the liberty to spend as they will. Then only she is in a position to reclaim her status from the culture that tries to emasculate her. This is true financial independence and can significantly change the conditions of worker women.
Carved in Blue: What kinds of changes and programs has Artistic Milliners instituted to empower its workers? Do they include programs beyond their employment there?
Faiza: Two of the major training programs to instill change in our work spaces are the Middle Management Training and UNDP Technical Skills Development Program. The former training is based on the premise that supervisors and in-charges are the bridge between top management and the workers. Therefore, if they are trained on soft skills such as stress and time management, problem solving and communications etc., the overall environment of the factory floors improves. The latter program is designed to hone the technical skills of trainee workers to either induct them on production floors or train them for more than one operation.
Some of our programs especially for worker women go beyond the employment because they are designed to uplift workers’ lifestyle in general. Our Adult Literacy program, for example, is designed to educate an adult, in a span of six months, to a level where she can read and write in the Urdu language and acquire basic numerical skills. Similarly, HERproject reinforces messages of healthy habits and lifestyle by adopting a unique model of peer-to-peer learning. We are also the first and only denim company in Pakistan to run Gap Inc.’s Women Empowerment program called P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement).
Apart from this, we have also linked up with one of our strategic buyers for Workplace Dialogue Program, where we are planning to make Work Councils more effective and powerful.
Carved in Blue: Has there been any effort to promote more women into jobs with more responsibility? How does that work?
Faiza: Yes — over the years we have concertedly worked to hire women on positions of greater responsibility. Empowered women on the machines are good, but empowered women at the executive levels—in leadership roles—is what will truly bridge the gender parity gap. Currently, the Centralized Planning, Supply Chain, Human Resource, Sales and Marketing, CSR and Communications departments at AM are all lead by women managers.
Of course, there are hurdles when we are trying to break stereotypes, but we have noticed that sooner or later meritocracy puts everything into order.
Carved in Blue: Has Artistic Milliners encountered any challenges particular to prevailing attitudes about women in the areas where it operates? What have those challenges been?
Faiza: One of our greatest challenges is to retain and promote women at workplaces. Women are quick to leave their jobs at a slight sign of any domestic or communal problem. That is because they play dual roles of wage earners and caregivers and also carry the extra burden of family honor on their shoulders.
No matter how many incentives we give them within the factory premises, the outside factors are constantly pulling them down. This is also why women shy away from accepting jobs of greater responsibility.
Carved in Blue: Artistic Milliners has provided an example to follow in this area. How long before changes that you’ve made at Artistic Milliners in terms of ethical production become commonplace in the industry?
Faiza: The fact is culture inside the industry is reflective of culture outside in the community. There is only very limited area we can control, with rules and regulations of the factory. It’s more about behavioral changes that demand extensive mindset change and training.
However we are very optimistic about change happening and that is why we are setting examples for others to follow suit. But like you said, the change will happen, slowly but surely.
Carved in Blue: How did you start in the denim industry?
Faiza: I was working with University of Bolton on my doctoral thesis on Water Purification and Sustainability and was also in touch with Artistic Milliners for financing my school of under-privileged children. It was a stroke of luck that just about the time I was in the final year of my thesis, I got the opportunity to take up the Sustainability and CSR post at AM.
Carved in Blue: What is your favorite city to visit for inspiration and shopping?
Faiza: Istanbul.
Carved in Blue: Are there any cultural figures, artists, places that have influenced you?
Faiza: Gamla stan in Stockholm.
Carved in Blue: Do you have any feminist heroes?
Faiza: Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook COO and Lean In author), Halla Tómasdóttir (Icelandic businessperson, public speaker and co-founder of Reykjavík University) and Emma Watson (actor and activist). All are love hands down!
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Faiza: One window platform for all things denim.