Threads of Resilience chronicles the daily lives of women working in the export garment industry in Ethiopia. Grounded in questions of workplace health and safety, this group exhibition features works by Ethiopian artist Maheder Haileselassie, British-Kenyan artist Olivia Howland, and eight women who work in the garment factories in Addis Ababa. These works encompass the lived experiences and embodied realities of factory work, which is dominated by women’s labour, and reliant upon the exploitation of their time and bodies, to the detriment of their health and safety.
The global garment industry is dominated by women’s labour: traditional ideas around gender characteristics such as docility, dexterity and endurance have led to more than 80% of garment workers globally being women. Yet alongside these assumptions comes a burden on physical and mental health: injury, stress, exhaustion, exposure to heat and chemicals, and precarious employment terms, as well as the double burden of domestic duties, contribute to a sick and fatigued workforce.
The pressure from global consumers for cheap fast fashion has led Ethiopia to rapidly construct several industrial parks, housing enormous “sheds” where factories, often run by foreigners, have set up shop. Whilst these have provided jobs for around 40,000 women, there are daily and ongoing violations of worker rights which remain unaddressed. These ‘invisible’ and expendable workers speak through these artworks, and the true human cost of fast fashion must not be ignored.
Many women garment workers in Addis Ababa come from war-torn regions of Ethiopia, seeking a better life, yet the city welcomes them with different challenges. They work as machine operators, supervisors or quality controllers, either standing or sitting all day – never both – which takes a heavy toll on their bodies.
Some live in company dormitories with 16 beds to a room. Dorm living makes 13 hour working days mandatory: 6:30am to 8:30pm. Others rent a single room unit, sharing with workmates, despite the rising cost and inflation.
Women are typically responsible for supporting a parent or child while they struggle to make ends meet each month. Whatever money remains after their essential expenses is expected to be sent home to help parents or siblings.
The three year-long study in Ethiopia, led by Dr Olivia Howland, was part of the larger Invisible Women, Invisible Workers study which took place in Ethiopia, Jordan, Cambodia and the UK – key production sites for the export garment industry and fast fashion. Threads of Resilience is curated by Kenyan visual and conceptual artist and MOMA international curatorial fellow, James Muriuki.