Myanmar coup

Myanmar’s garment workers squeezed between boycotts, brands and junta

As large fashion brands begin placing garment orders once again in Myanmar, the sector's largely female workforce must balance diminished worker’s rights, threats to physical safety and post-coup political considerations with the need for a paycheque
By Kiana Duncan • Aug 17, 2021

Industry

The Anakut podcast: The state of Cambodia’s garment sector today

The outlook seemed bleak for the Kingdom's garment industry when early last year Cambodia simultaneously lost tariff-free access to the EU and the pandemic struck the global economy. Almost 18 months on, we speak with GMAC head Ken Loo and researcher Dennis Arnold to learn about the state of the industry today
By Andrew Haffner • Jul 28, 2021

Manufacturing

Stitch up: Power imbalances in global garment sector worsen in pandemic

New research has uncovered how global garment brands have been unilaterally cancelling orders, delaying payments and changing contracts to their betterment during the pandemic – leaving factories and workers to shoulder the burden
By Alexi Demetriadi • Oct 23, 2020

Cambodia in Quarantine

Locking the factory doors

For decades the garment and footwear industry has fuelled Cambodia's economic miracle, with more than 900,000 workers employed by over 1,000 factories at its peak. But with the global economic shutdown, the factory lights are off and the doors locked
By Andrew Haffner and Kong Meta • Aug 10, 2020

Cambodian economy

‘Government support for workers during Covid-19 insufficient’

With the halt of global tourism, and the mass cancellation of orders from the West, the global pandemic has hit the Cambodian economy especially hard. While the government has instituted support measures for workers, Cambodian labour rights organisation CENTRAL marks Labour Day 2020 with the message that it's not nearly enough
By Patrick Lee • May 01, 2020

Garment sector

As COVID-19 hits global economy, Cambodian workers face layoffs

As COVID-19 brings the global economy to a grinding halt, industry insiders warn that Cambodian workers face factory closures and job suspensions as the demand for goods falls in the West
By Alastair McCready • Mar 23, 2020

Labour rights

Up in arms

Cambodia has bid a (partial) farewell to Everything But Arms — but what is next for the union women left fighting on the front line of the fallout?
By Sabina Lawreniuk • Mar 11, 2020

Mending hearts

Cambodia’s garment factories are synonymous with hard work, long hours and low wages. But among the assembly lines and dusty backstreets, couples are falling in love
By Nathan A. Thompson • Feb 14, 2014