Today, we mark an important milestone in our journey as the Garment Labour Union. Yesterday, our President Rukmini VP received the 17th Bremen Solidarity Prize! The topic of the 17th prize was the commitment to combating violence against women and girls, one of the most widespread violations of human rights worldwide. The award marks a new phase in our strategy of building GLU in a sustainable way, based on the strength of our workers’ support.
“With this award, the Bremen Senate recognizes the outstanding work with which you have decisively and courageously campaigned against gender-specific violence against women in the textile industry and for better working conditions for more than twenty years,” said Mayor Bovenschulte at the reception. “Your commitment makes public the grievances for which the international community is also largely responsible: precarious working conditions in the textile industry and the resulting violence against women in the workplace.”
On receiving the award, Rukmini explained: “We have been working in the garment factories for many years, but we do not see any improvement in the working and living conditions of our workers. On the contrary: even in the 21st century, we see that women and children are oppressed. Working conditions are deteriorating in around the world and getting worse. The governments of the developed countries in the western world need to be aware of the labor rights abuses suffered by workers in the producing countries of the Global South, they need to take responsibility for them and take appropriate measures to address and them counteract it!”
We are proud of Rukmini’s commitment as a strong feminist activist, standing up for the rights of textile workers for over twenty years. As she said, the award is received on behalf of all garment workers, union activists and all supporters of workers’ rights.
The full press release is available here: https://www.senatspressestelle.bremen.de/pressemitteilungen/senat-verleiht-17-bremer-solidaritaetspreis-an-indische-frauenrechtlerin-rukmini-vaderapura-puttaswamy-397479?asl=bremen02.c.730.de
