Update: Those “Unethical” Feminist Tees Aren’t Actually Made In Sweatshops

UPDATE: Much to our relief, The Fawcett Society has confirmed that the “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” tee was not produced in a factory with unethical work conditions, as reported by Dazed Digital. “We have been particularly pleased to receive evidence that 100% of workers are paid above the government-mandated minimum wage and all workers are paid according to their skills and years of service,” said Fawcett’s Eva Neitzert to Dazed of the factory in which the garments were made. “The standard working week is 45 hours, and workers are compensated (at a higher rate of pay) for any overtime worked."

Of course, while the standard of what minimum wage should look like may differ greatly from one country to the next — for the Mauritius factory, the workers’ 62 pence (or about $.99) per hour is considered above the minimum — it at least calms our concerns that a shirt with such a strong pro-women message is doing equal amounts of good for wearers, manufacturers, and Benedict Cumberbatch, alike. (Dazed Daily)

That is, until we found out that the shirt was possibly made by astoundingly underpaid women.

The Daily Mail has reports that the shirts, promoted by The Fawcett Society, are produced in a labor camp in Mauritius, where the workers are paid approximately 6,000 rupees a month — about $190 — and work a minimum of 45 hours per week. Because the owner of the factory fears that the women would return to work "hungover" if they left the camp, they sleep 16 people to a room in on-site dormitories.

"How can this T-shirt be a symbol of feminism when we do not see ourselves as feminists?" one worker at the factory told the Mail. "We see ourselves as trapped."

A spokesperson for The Fawcett Society said that the organization had been assured that the shirts were produced according to ethical standards, but would "do our utmost to investigate" claims of underpaid labor. (The Daily Mail)