CLASS DESCRIPTION

This lecture examines how the global garment industry disproportionately exploits women, who make up the vast majority of its workforce yet remain among the lowest paid and most vulnerable. The instructor reveals how gender-based violence and harassment function as deliberate managerial tools to enforce extreme production targets and short lead times, and how the suppression of unionisation leaves women with little protection or recourse.

Students will explore why women are treated as “cheaper,” more disposable labour across garment-producing regions and how these patterns have intensified with the rise of Shein, Temu, and other ultra-fast-fashion models that now outproduce the rest of the industry combined. Through case studies and worker testimonies, the session traces how this new era of accelerated production has deepened exploitation, precarity, and harm.

By the end of the class, participants will gain critical insight into the gendered structures of global supply chains and the urgent need for systemic change.

ABOUT OUR LECTURER

Dr. Chidgey is a human rights researcher and practitioner with over six years’ experience leading intersectional research and five years specialising in responsible sourcing, human rights due diligence, and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL). Her expertise spans labour exploitation risks, supply chain governance, and policy design, with a strong track record of engaging policymakers, regulators, businesses, and NGOs to drive evidence-based change.

She completed her PhD in 2025, conducting extensive multi-stakeholder research on gender inequality, ESG risks, and labour rights across global garment supply chains. Her work has produced practical recommendations aligned with the UN Guiding Principles, OECD Guidelines, and the SDGs, supported by 70+ stakeholder interviews and numerous MEL frameworks used to assess corporate human rights performance.

Beyond academia, she has held roles in ethical innovation research, sustainability teaching, and national-level advocacy. As Co-Chair for Amnesty International UK’s Feminist Network, she leads strategy, campaigns, and coalition-building focused on gender rights. She also supports survivor-led organising with #NotYourPorn and mentors early-career professionals through FemMentored.

INSTAGRAM: @ophelialaine

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This is a recording of a live session hosted by The Feminist Lecture Program in June 2026. The reading list for the class can be found alongside this rental.

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