The Impact of Fashion Industry Rhetorical Speech

Every single day I wake up, not knowing if today is going to be my last. I feed my children, not knowing if this will be their last meal for days on end. My work conditions leave me concerned for the safety of myself and others, I have never felt safe at my job and that is not a feeling I would wish on anyone. I have seen people die, bleed from their fingers from sewing, sweating from the 100-degree weather and no a/c, and mourn for the lives lost due to the unreliable foundation of our factories caving in on their loved one... all for what? A pair of pants worth $2.50? If you are concerned about the safety of your family, why are you not concerned about the safety of the people putting clothes on your body? I have spent hours in a factory that does not care about my well-being, just so you can get your discounted scarf that looks designer. There is nothing designer about the life I live. I wish so desperately to just make enough money so that I donʻt have to worry if my children are well fed. I want them to go to school and leave this place. But they canʻt. They are stuck at home because my paycheck is going towards unpaid bills and debt up to my eyes. My name is Dina Farhan and I have worked in a fast fashion merchandising factory for 20 years and it is time for my voice to be heard.

There are so many stories I can share about the abuse I have faced in the shop; each one scarier than the next. Fast fashion businesses have been abusing their employees for decades, yet no one is speaking out against them. We are nothing but workers that provide a profit for them. We are not human in their eyes. I have been denied basic human necessities like affordable healthcare, insurance, or even a liveable paycheck.  People die in my factory every single day, and all they do is replace them with another able body. It breaks my heart to deny my children more food because I cannot afford it. I can see every single bone in their body, Begging for the nourishment that it requires. I feel like if they make one wrong move, they will shatter due to the fragility of their frames. I have met many evil people in my life, but I would never wish what I go through on them.

I face this danger, but I don't have to. If we all come together and disband the fast fashion Industries and Trends, we can create a better place for everyone. Sustainable clothing has been around for years, yet nobody has ever brought it up because they are too focused on discounts. Have you ever wondered why they are so cheap? Next time you see a cheap clothing item ask “where did this come from”? Chances are that it was made in a third country, like my own, and has been manufactured in sweatshops by desperate families. Is our suffering really worth the couple of dollars you saved from buying the cheaper alternative? We have been scared to speak about the abuse that we are facing every single day... but not anymore. We are ready to share our stories so that you can understand the pain that we are going through for these businesses to gain a profit. We are sick of it. We are sick of being tossed around like we are nothing just based on the place that we call home. We are sick of it. The names we get called behind our back just because we are trying to make a living wage for our family. Please hear our voices hear, words, and stories, and please take them to heart. We have gone through this so future generations don't have to. With the education of our dangerous environment, you can help save us and the world. Support sustainable fashion; your support can save lives like mine and my children. And it can also honor and remember the lives that were lost due to the fast fashion industry. Thank you for taking the time to hear me talk today and I hope that I was able to help you decide better lives just by changing the source of your clothes.