Written by: Anushka Basnet - 2023002, Grade IX
Posted on: 24 February, 2021
Clothes are our basic necessity. With modernizing society and urban places increasing at a rapid pace, clothes have not only been to things to cover our body but also something that defines us, it has become a fashion. Thus them being manufactured every day in huge amounts is also a need. Alpaca, mohair, cashmere, down, leather, and wool products are some of the most famous types of clothing used by people every day. These types of clothes are preferred by a huge amount of people. But barely anyone knows the consequences animals face to make these kinds of clothes. Recently the news about the process of manufacturing of the clothes has been surfacing through the internet. Many animals have been abused to make those fancy items of clothing that we as human beings pay a fortune to wear and show to other people.
Clothes produced by leading clothing and lifestyle retail shops such as Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Zara, etc exactly know what kind of abuse those innocent animals have been facing in the name of human fashion, however, they are keeping their mouths shut on these topics. With many people who are unaware of these things, these clothing retailers are taking advantage and are continuing to abuse animal lives. Slaughtering animals’ skin to produce clothes to cover our own skin is no joke and should be taken down immediately. It was exposed that workers tie-down and mutilate pregnant alpacas for wools. During shearing, workers hit, kick, and mutilate sheep for their wool which leaves sheep with bloody wounds. At mohair and cashmere operations workers burn, electroshock beat, and slaughter cows and buffalos to make leather, not leaving even the young calves. It was even revealed that workers yank out a fistful of geese feathers, and boil silkworms alive to produce silk. And we pay so much money indirectly to abuse those innocent animals. Unawareness of the people has been resulting in the incidents. Excessive manufacture of clothes is also a problem that makes the earth more polluted but is not much discussed. Many activists are actively participating in programs to cancel these “trends” of slaughtering animals for clothes.
I believe each and every person should be informed on this topic. For this media should play a great role. Also, these leading brands should minimize abusing animals for their profit. Those voiceless animals cannot stand up for themselves and stop the wrong deeds we humans are doing, therefore at least we can help minimize these activities. Animals are life, and killing and abusing them is an inhuman act conducted by humans, and each and every person should work on abolishing it. Clothes can be manufactured from plants and other measures too. Using cotton clothes instead of leather, minimizing the use of leather in daily activities can help minimize these acts.
Thus, animal abuse for the manufacturing of clothes is a serious crime and should be taken down immediately. In my opinion, there should be more laws against these crimes and people should be ashamed of what they are doing to animals in the name of clothes.
