Dear members of the Textile Partnership, dear readers, 

International cooperation is facing increasing criticism in Germany. In the political debate, we are hearing more and more demands to scale down Germany’s international efforts to combat poverty, hunger and climate change. There have been attempts to play our national interests and our international cooperation against each other. And there have been attempts to turn public opinion against development policy and international solidarity by systematically spreading disinformation.  

These demands are short-sighted and dangerous. They will not solve any of the problems that we are facing in Germany and worldwide. Quite on the contrary, they will only make them worse. Germany, as a globally connected economic player, cannot afford to take a back seat. And you, as representatives and experts of the German textiles industry, know this better than anyone else. Every day, you experience first hand that we need our partners worldwide if we want to make change happen in a globalised world. That it requires mutual trust and strong partnerships. And that the crises and challenges of our time can only be resolved by working together. 

You, the members of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, are leading by example. In refocusing the Partnership and putting even more emphasis on Joint Action you are taking an important step in the right direction. And in taking this step, you are doing what the Due Diligence Act requires. After all, the core element of this Act is not the reporting. It is more about taking targeted action in order to address shortcomings along the supply chain. By working together, you can achieve more than by going it alone. And you are able to deliver measurable social and ecological improvements along the textile supply chain. So that textile workers can make a living from their work and feed their families. So that fashion becomes more circular and environmentally friendly. And so that women, who account for the majority of the workforce in textile manufacturing, do not have to fear violence or discrimination in the workplace.  

The Dindigul Agreement to End Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in India is a good example of how this can be achieved. Women workers in Indian textile factories experience gender-based violence and discrimination on a daily basis. The Dindigul Agreement, a legally binding agreement between international fashion companies, trade unions and suppliers, holds brands and manufacturers accountable for ending such practices. The Agreement envisages training, protection against discrimination and retaliation, and an independent complaints mechanism. The permanent presence of trade union representatives at the factories considerably improves women’s safety in the workplace.  

The Agreement, which was drafted in close collaboration with the women-led Indian trade union TTCU, is an important step towards enforcing a zero-tolerance strategy on gender-based violence. I greatly welcome the Partnership members’ efforts to contribute to establishing further agreements with textile factories that build on the model of the Dindigul Agreement, getting more companies involved and building local capacity for implementation. This will create a safe working environment for even more Indian textile workers and enable them to participate in the economy and claim their rights. 

The Dindigul Agreement underscores the importance and positive impact of solutions that have been developed by local communities. Solutions that build on local structures and are supported by local stakeholders, especially local trade unions. And such solutions and structures, initiated by local workers who want to improve their work environment, deserve every support. I would therefore like to encourage you, the members of the Partnership, to continue on this path and involve local stakeholders – especially textile workers, local trade unions and civil society organisations – even more closely and systematically in the Partnership’s work. This is the only way to achieve effective and sustainable improvements along the entire textile supply chain. 

Thank you for your dedicated work. I look forward to continuing our cooperation. 

Svenja Schulze 

Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development