Some auditing initiatives, such as the legally binding Bangladesh Fire Safety Accord, which shuttered hundreds of unsafe factories, have made a real difference. But when I asked Klotz if audits are often conducted by parties with a vested interest in the results, she replies simply: “Yes.” In particular, she says, difficulties arise when workers are asked to talk about their workplace culture. Garment workers are predominantly women, on the lowest rungs of the employment ladder and invariably working for men in positions of power. “That’s an issue which is so often overlooked,” Klotz says. “One of the things that we do is put a gender lens on absolutely everything, because gender justice is intimately tied in with garment workers’ rights, in a way that I don’t think people are conscious of,” she adds, “I’m sure that auditors will interview workers, but maybe with their supervisors behind them.” These suspicions appear to be confirmed by a recent, damning report that detailed a devastating pattern of sexual assault and harassment.
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