Boycott Gap

The photo here is just one of many of Bansky's brilliant art. I recently discovered this graffiti artist's work and have placed him on one my "one of my heroes" list. This is an appropriate acompanying feature today as I just read this report from nosweat.org about popular clothing giant, Gap's sweatshop in Bangalore, India. For one, I don't shop at Gap as I am not a big khaki fan and I hate their advertising but this is a fundamental reason to encourage a boycott of the retailer. Gap's overseas sweat shops are hurting women.

A couple highlights from the article:

-Local unions told the Guardian that Ms Padmavathi, a 39-year-old factory worker, collapsed near the factory gate at midday on September 18, two-and-a-half hours after she had asked to be allowed leave to go to hospital. They claim she started vomiting at 9.30am and had asked her manager for leave. But, they say, she was not granted immediate leave and was instead verbally abused. When she was eventually granted leave and left the factory, she collapsed near the gate. Passers-by carried her back to the factory, where she was taken to a clinic and then to Victoria hospital, where she died at around 1pm.

-Ratnamma, 27, spoke of her anger at losing her baby, a boy, in March, when she was forced to give birth alone in the street at the factory gate after being refused immediate leave when she went into labour.

India isn't the only country with Gap factory human rights violations. At the end of day, lets do our research about where our clothes are coming from and what they really cost, and just say "YUK!" to retailers like Gap.