103. The Curious Case of Leicester Part 1: Welcome to the Conundrum

Jennifer Wascak is an American lawyer and the co-founder and managing director of Justice In Fashion. Eight years ago, she shifted her focus to business and human rights. During the pandemic, media exposés of the garment industry led her to Leicester to seek justice for the vulnerable. In this episode we explore the ideas, assumptions and beliefs that Jennifer initially held about why human rights abuses were happening in Leicester, how those changed over time, and why she now prioritises listening over prescribing solutions. 

This episode is part of "The Curious Case of Leicester" mini-series. While legislation is often seen as the solution to fashion’s sustainability issues, Leicester’s apparel industry presents a paradox: despite being in a developed country, in a city acclaimed for its strong governance, labour rights abuses have persisted. This series explores how such abuses continue and what this means for using legislation as a tool to address fashion's sustainability challenges globally.

**Share your musings, ramblings, or questions on this episode - whether fully formed or half baked by leaving Kim a voice memo or posting to our Curious Case of Leicester Community Wall - where you can also swap notes with fellow listeners. 

Also, join us for live virtual conversation on 3 October at 4PM CET to debrief and compare notes on these episodes. Spots are limited, and are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Register here.**

The Curious Case of Leicester has been supported by Lancaster University Management School and the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, working in partnership with Justice In Fashion CIC, a UK-based not-for-profit that works to address imbalances of power and resources across the fashion industry supply chain.

Find Lancaster University Management School on:
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Find Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business on:
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CREDITS:

Host: Kim van der Weerd 

Co-Host: Dr. Divya Jyoti

Guest: Jennifer Wascak

This is a Maed in India production.

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Sean D'mello 

Co-Producer: Meghna Gulati

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni