Like many, we were shocked by the murder of George Floyd in the US on the 25th of May 2020, and as a company, we wanted to do something to show our solidarity and support with the millions of people protesting all over the world and as such we have muted our social media accounts for the week commencing 3rd June - 9th June 2020.
It has also been a timely and important reminder that racial injustices and inequality not only exist but are still very much a part of our everyday culture.
There is still so much work to do at every level of government, the private sector, the community and for each of us as individuals.
Last week was Reconciliation Week here in Australia, a week to recognise our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and Culture. It is a time to reflect on the historical and current inequalities and injustices that exist and take practical and consistent steps towards a fairer Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. As an Australian brand, the last week has also reminded us how far we have to go in our own country.
As a relatively small and new company, we are still learning and finding out the most impactful ways to play our part in creating a more just society.
This is a journey and we know is not something that we can do with a single post or muting our social media accounts for a week.
As an organisation, we have committed to focussing on a range of issues to help play our part:
- Increased diversity in our images and models
- Investing in education for our staff around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture and the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan for our company
- Working towards increased transparency and accountability in our supply chain to support the workers who make our clothes
- Acknowledging and recognising key global days to our staff, followers and customers including International Women’s Day, National Reconciliation Week, Pride month and Martin Luther King Jr Day. As part of this process, we will listen to and learn from people at the heart of these issues to ensure whatever we post can play a meaningful role
- Support for our all-female workforce to grow and develop and training the next generation of women in the industry
Social media posts can assist in shining a light on issues and as a sign of solidarity and support. But we also recognise that we all need to take more meaningful actions to help create a just and fair society for all. As a company we are on a journey and we are committed to the actions above and any others that can help us play our role.