The Lives of Garment Workers in Lesotho
Figure
1: The independent country of Lesotho lies completely surrounded
by the Republic of South Africa.
Image obtained from <http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/africa/lesotho/map.htm>.
Figure 3:
A woman from the country of Lesotho, Africa. <http://www.ourdays.com/ images/africa/lestho>.
Figure
2: A Miami University sweatshirt produced by JanSport and made in
Lesotho.
Introduction
From the production of outdoor backpacks to thermal sweatshirts, the brand name of JanSport depicts its consumers as adventurous, outgoing, and spirited. However, behind these highly marketed products are their manufacturers; they are individuals abroad who work for a JanSport factory in their country (Jansport 2005). JanSport's investment in the impoverished nation of Lesotho, Africa has promoted the country's garment industry (De Haan 2002:45). Unfortunately, the garment workers that manufacture JanSport sweatshirts are exposed to unethical working situations and are not able to provide for their basic needs in this historically and culturally rich country. In this paper I examine the life of a JanSport worker in Lesotho by focusing on the political history of the country and the customary activities, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and social structure of its citizens.
Context of Lesotho
The country of Lesotho is entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa (Coutsoukis 2003) (Figure 1). Although it has a small total land area of 11,718 square miles, Lesotho has a stunning landscape of plateaus, hills, and mountains (TransAfrica Forum 2003). Since a majority of the country is comprised of high altitude terrain, it is often referred to as “The Roof of Africa” (Peace Corps n.d.). In particular, the Maluti Mountains, part of the Drakensberg Range of southern Africa, contain deep valleys as several large rivers have their source in the highlands of Lesotho (Peace Corps n.d.).
Lesotho's high elevation and its location near the equator account for its temperate climate and four distinct seasons (Peace Corps n.d.). The country experiences hot, wet summers offset by cool to cold, dry winters (Coutsoukis 2003). Thus, January, with temperatures reaching up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, is the warmest summer month. It is also during the summer that the country may experience floods and widely sporatic rainfall (Gumbo 2004). In comparison, the winter months of June to August have mild days and cold nights (Peace Corps n.d.). Although Lesotho's dry season is during this time, the mountains still get accumulations of snow (Peace Corps n.d.). In total, the country receives about 28 inches of precipitation in an average year (Peace Corps n.d.).
Basutoland, now formally known as the Kingdom of Lesotho, was a country sparsely occupied by the nomadic Khoisan (“bushmen”) until the end of the 16 th century (TransAfrica Forum 2003). Gradually, refugees from surrounding areas began to form various Basotho ethnic groups (The Pennsylvania State University 2003). With the guidance of statesman Moshoeshoe in 1818, the dispersed groups were united as he became king (TransAfrica Forum 2003). Against continued threats, the country became a British Protectorate in 1868 and received assistance from Queen Victoria (Peace Corps n.d.). Upon gaining full independence in 1966, Lesotho was able to function as a multiparty democracy until 1986 when a military regime gained power (The Pennsylvania State University 2003). The country returned to a democratic system with proportional representation in 1993, although it remains a constitutional monarchy (Lemon 1996:263).
Brand: JanSport
VF Corporation, the world's largest apparel company, is the parent company of JanSport (Colbert 2005). The VF Corporation's brands that are responsible for the production of outdoor products include JanSport, The North Face, Eastpak, Napapijri, Kipling, and Vans (VF Corporation 2004). However, JanSport's parent company has additional brands in jeanswear, undergarments, specialty apparel, and sportswear (VF Corporation 2004) (Figure 2). With only a total investment of $11,000, John Barbey and a group of investors began the Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company, VF Corporation's predecessor, in 1899; the corporation had a market value exceeding $5 billion by 1999 (VF Corporation 2004). VF Corporation, named after the manufacturing of Vanity Fair undergarments, doubled its size by 1986 and currently has numerous headquarters in the U.S. and is found internationally in Argentina , Belgium, Spain, Italy, and China (VF Corporation 2004). In partnership with VF Corporation, JanSport's U.S. Headquarters is located in Appleton, Wisconsin, and the company has European Headquarters in Bormen, Belgium and Paris, France (JanSport 2005).
People
Through the research that I have completed on the country of Lesotho, the fictitious 23 year-old woman of Alina Falten gives an identity to the typical people who work in the garment factories of Lesotho (Figure 3). On the outer edge of Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, Alina shares a one-room house with her husband, her two children, her parents, and her father's mother (TransAfrica Forum 2003). The cinder-blocked home accommodates all of the inhabitants but lacks the utilities of running water and restrooms (TransAfrica Forum 2003). Alina's family represents the majority of Lesotho's population as 99.7% of individuals are of the Basotho ethnic group, 80% are Christians (Roman Catholic or Protestant), and they speak the official language of Sesotho (CARE International UK 2004).
For the past five months Alina's husband has been working as a migrant laborer for the Republic of South Africa's mining industry (Sweetman 2001:76). Thus, similar to the majority of workers in the garment industry, who are women, Alina has the responsibility of being the main source of income and everyday support for her large, extended family (Letuka 1997:15). Due to the fees and other related costs associated with schooling, only the older of her two boys is able to attend classes (De Haan 2002:49). Her ten year-old currently spends his time as a herd boy; he is responsible for watching over the family sheep and allowing them to graze (Ansell 2004:188). As exemplified by the situation involving Lesotho, cheaper labor costs and trade opportunities have drawn companies into the country; these manufacturers have provided the people with an additional source of income other than subsistence farming or raising livestock (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 2003:57).
Since Lesotho is a small country it can be extrapolated that garment manufacturing sites and their conditions are similar throughout the area. The industrial zones designated for Lesotho's garment factories include two locations in Maseru and two in Maputso (De Haan 2002:47). Given that JanSport's factory for the Hippo Knitting Company is situated in an industrial zone of Maseru, Alina Falten is able to walk or be transported by taxi each morning to her job (JanSport 2005). At promptly 7 a.m. she passes through the barbed wire fencing that encloses plot 12273-001/5&7 (JanSport 2005, TransAfrica Forum 2003). The JanSport factory, 6,000 square meters in size, accommodates approximately 800 workers each day (Personal Communication Hippo Knitting Company Representative 2005). Uniformed guards employed by the site's personal police station are also implemented to secure the area (TransAfrica Forum 2003).
Since being employed at the factory about a year ago, Alina typically works an average of 45 regular hours per week (nine hours per day) and 27 hours of overtime; thus, she and her co-workers often work six days a week, with every Sunday off (De Haan 2002:47, Personal Communication Hippo Knitting Company Representative 2005). Each day the women of the garment factory must work diligently for if they are unable to meet the production targets set by management, they must work through their lunch breaks and until the target is reached (De Haan 2002:47). In contrast to the ideas presented in JanSport's ethical statement, frequently they are not paid for hours that they work after 5 p.m. during the weekdays (De Haan 2002:47). In addition to long work weeks and forced and often unpaid overtime, the women are exposed to harmful and invasive violations by management and supervisors while at the manufacturing plant (TransAfrica Forum 2003). Some women, until reaching the end of their pregnancies, have stood and worked complete days and overtime (De Haan 2002:48). Often the women are pressured not to join trade unions or the management does not allow these organizations to enter the factory (De Haan 2002:47). However, if production goals are obtained for the day, Alina and the other workers are able to exit the factory at 5 p.m., only after being searched (De Haan 2002:49). Although humiliating, the women endure the strip searches as they are desperate to maintain their jobs and provide for their family members at home.
As a garment worker, Alina is paid an average of $58 a month (28 cents per hour) (TransAfrica Forum 2003). This salary amount is less than a living wage, and she must constantly struggle to provide for the basic needs of her family (De Haan 2002:49). Some of the needs that must be accounted for include corn meal, green vegetables, meat, personal hygiene products, rent, heating and cooking fuel, and drinking water (TransAfrica Forum 2003). The estimated total (per month) for the basic needs of a garment factory worker who is paid $61 a month and has a family of four is $125 (TransAfrica Forum 2003). Ultimately, less than half the essentials needed by a family of four can be purchased with the average wage (TransAfrica 2003). Furthermore, 49.2% of Lesotho's population remains below the national poverty level (Peace Corps n.d.). In addition to income stratisfication between the rich and the poor, there is also a division among the incomes earned between sexes in the country (TransAfrica Forum 2003). In 2003, a typical woman in Lesotho earned $1,233 while in comparison a male earned $2,853 (TransAfrica Forum 2003). However, women are currently beginning to contribute prominently to the income of the household (Sweetman 2001:72).
Process
In researching the lives of garment workers in Lesotho, I found persistence to be essential. I initially used the internet for information regarding the country's climate, ethnic and religious groups, and generalized facts about the population. Furthermore, I investigated the economic and social status of Lesotho, Africa by ordering books through Miami University's library and locating peer-viewed journals. I first acknowledged the challenges I would encounter with finding more in-depth information on the country's garment workers as I began to send out e-mails. I e-mailed the company of JanSport, the contact responsible for JanSport's manufacturing site in Maseru (the capital of Lesotho), and 2 additional organizations that were opposed to sweatshops in the country; after a week, I had received only one response.
Although a bit disheartened by the lack of results from my e-mails, I wrote a polite e-mail to the company and contact once again. In fact, I received an e-mail back from JanSport, however not from the manufacturing site, and continued to explore various techniques of obtaining information. A simple phone call became a task as I discovered that each country has a unique telephone code. Thus, after exploring various means of research, I found the internet to have the best sources of information. Even in browsing the internet, I had to maintain motivation to find reliable website sources. Through this process of finding information on the garment workers of Lesotho, I found that determination and the investigation of various methods of research to be fundamental in obtaining results.
Ultimately, only after I e-mailed JanSport twice did I receive a generalized e-mailed back that detailed two websites to visit for further information. One website given was the company's own website that I had already viewed, in addition to their parent company's website. The VF Corporation's link was indeed helpful in detailing the company's history and current progress. Although this aided my research, I persisted in e-mailing the contact for JanSport's manufacturing site in Lesotho a third time; finally, a response providing the size of the factory, the number of workers on the plot, and the workers' hours was given. I was pleased that the JanSport website disclosed all its manufacturing sites and that I eventually obtained a personalized e-mail that answered my questions, except for the Lesotho workers' wages. I think that it is vital for JanSport to respond back to individuals who pose questions about the setting and workers of these factories, especially since they are so eager to ensure consumers that their products are made under ethical conditions (JanSport 2005). I believe that consumers have a right to know where and under what conditions their JanSport products were manufactured.
Conclusion
In order to provide for their basic needs, garment workers from the country of Lesotho, Africa obtain work manufacturing JanSport sweatshirts for the “true outdoor adventurer” (JanSport 2005). Due to Lesotho's small land coverage, research suggests that companies in this area expose their manufacturing site workers to unjust working conditions that include excessive working hours, degrading searches, and low salaries. Although living in impoverishment, JanSport garment workers strive to maintain the activities of their daily lives, their religious beliefs, and ethnic affiliations that have thus far endured a history of struggle. Ultimately, in a current world of globalization, it should be the responsibility of companies and consumers to ensure the well-being and ethical treatment of working individuals. Companies such as JanSport may claim that their products are made under “safe, ethical, and lawful conditions,” yet consumers must question who is actually held accountable for monitoring these manufacturing sites (Jansport 2005).
Internet References Cited
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CARE International UK 2004 Lesotho: Country Statistics. Electronic document, http://www.careinternational.org.uk/cares_work/where/lesotho/lesotho_stats.htm accessed Feb. 2, 2005 This website provides statistics on the country of Lesotho, Africa.
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Colbert, Catherine 2005 VF Corporation. Electronic document, http://www.hoovers.com/vf-corporation/--ID__11572--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml, accessed Feb. 27, 2005 This website gives information about VF Corporation, the parent company of JanSport.
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Coutsoukis, Photius 2003 Lesotho People. Electronic document, http://www.photius.com/wfb1999/lesotho/lesotho_people.html, accessed Feb. 2, 2005 This website presents additional statistics on the people living in Lesotho.
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Greenwich Mean Time 2005 Map of Lesotho . Electronic document, http://www.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/africa/lesotho/map.htm, accessed Feb. 2, 2005 This website contains a map of the independent country of Lesotho.
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JanSport 2005 About Us: Manufacturers. Electronic document, http://www.jansport.com/about_manufacturers.php, accessed Feb. 2, 2005 This JanSport website discloses the company's manufacturing sites.
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Our Days 2003 Lesotho. Electronic document, http://www.ourdays.com/images/africa/lesotho, accessed April 24, 2005 This website gives various photographs of the people and landscape of Lesotho.
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Peace Corps n.d. Destination: Lesotho. Electronic document, http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/guides/lesotho/overview.html, accessed Feb. 2, 2005 This website provides information on the land, history, people, economy, and education of Lesotho, Africa.
- The Pennsylvania State University
2003 Lesotho . Electronic document, http://www.witn.psu.edu/articles/article.phtml?article_id=319&show_id=54,
accessed Feb. 2, 2005 This website is about the life of the Basotho people.
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TransAfrica Forum 2003 Sweatshops in Lesotho . Electronic document, http://www.transafricaforum.org/policyreports.html, accessed Feb. 2, 2005
This website offers a report that discusses Lesotho and the current status of sweatshops in the country.
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VF Corporation 2004 VF History. Electronic document, http://www.vfc.com/sub_pages/our_history.php, accessed Feb. 22, 2005 This website presents the history of VF Corporation from 1899-2004.
Peer-Reviewed References Cited
Ansell, Nicola 2004 Secondary Schooling and Rural Youth Transitions in Lesotho and Zimbabwe . In Youth and Society. 36(2) 183-202.
De Haan, E. and G. Phillips 2002 Selling Our People: Production in Lesotho . In Made in Southern Africa. N. Ascoly, L. Brindle, and G. Phillips, eds., pp. 45-56.
Gumbo, Bekithemba 2004 The Status of water demand management in selected cities of southern Africa. In Physics and Chemistry of the Earth. 29(1) 1225- 1231.
Lemon, Anthony 1996 Lesotho and the New South Africa: the question of Incorporation. In The Geographical Journal. 162(3) 263-272.
Letuka, P., K. Matashane and B. Morolong 1997 Women in Lesotho . In Beyond Inequalities. P. Johnson, B. Kethusegile, H. McCullum, eds., pp. 1-49.
Sweetman, Caroline 2001 ‘Sitting on a rock': men, socio-economic change, and development policy in Lesotho . In Beyond Rhetoric: Men's Involvement in Gender and Development Policy and Practice. D. Philip, editor, pp 71- 78.
United Nations 2003 Investment Policy Review of Lesotho . In United Nations Conference on and Development. pp. 1-85.