What is the real cost of a $10 dress?

Lessons from the Rana Plaza tragedy - labour rights, commodity chains and shared accountability

Nov. 6, 2013 from 5pm -7pm
 Harry Hickman Building, Room 110
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC

Sewing machine

On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building housing five garment factories collapsed in Savar, a sub-district on the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. A total of 1,131 factory workers were confirmed dead and many others suffered grave injuries.

This event’s interdisciplinary panel addressed some of the multifaceted and interconnected complexities that the Rana Plaza tragedy reveals about human rights, precarious labour, contemporary commodity chains, and shared accountability.

Guest moderator for the event was CBC's former Asia Bureau Chief, Patrick Brown. Panelists included:

  • Sharmin Ahmed, visiting Graduate Researcher in Development from BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Jamie Lawson and Marlea Clarke, Department of Political Science
  • Josh Ault, Gustavson School of Business
  • Laura Parisi, Department of Women's Studies
  • David Huxtable, PhD Fellow, Global Studies at the University of Victoria.

To view videos from the event, click here.


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