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After a woman matched with him on Bumble, a Texas man was arrested for his alleged role in the Capitol riot. How? The woman turned him in to the FBI. In fact, many female users of the dating app reported their matches to federal authorities back in January after noticing a surge of conservative men on the platform. Many of these men even bragged about their participation by sending their dating prospects pictures or videos of their participation.

EDUCATION

Girls in India are working together to escape child marriage
Tue Jul 13

In India, school shutdowns are costing girls their entire future. South Asia has the highest rate of child marriages in the world, concentrated primarily in low income families who can’t afford the fees on subsidized education (let alone keep their daughters at home). Enter quarantine and families saw work dry up. Simultaneously, pandemic restrictions on gatherings allowed for cheaper, smaller weddings without committing any social faux pas. The result? India alone saw a 17% increase in child marriages between June and July of last year.

And it’s a problem playing out globally, with an extra 2.5 million girls at risk of such unions over the next five years. In fact, a 2020 report found that the pandemic reversed 25 years of progress to end forced child marriage and instead shot up rates to the worst levels seen in 25 years. Most activist work tries to keep girls in school as education would provide job opportunities later and, hopefully, a break in the cycle of poverty.

That’s why a group of girls in northern India are fighting for their right to education. Started by 18-year-old Priyanka Bairwa — whose family, unlike others, heeded her threats of running away if married — Rajasthan Rising has grown to over 1,200 members in a few months. Bairwa shares how even though education is free until grade eight, development fees imposed by schools make it difficult for families and lead to girls dropping out and becoming child brides. Rajasthan Rising seeks to change that by extending free education through grade twelve and getting girls scholarships to cover those development costs. After teaching themselves how to use laptops and the internet, they’ve so far earned the attention of a local education officer to submit their suggestions.

Our Sources:

→ Initial coverage: The Guardian
→ 2020 report on pandemic’s reversal of progress: Save the Children
→ The risks child brides face and how education can help: World Bank

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FASHION

Shein lawsuits aren't deterring otherwise socially conscious Gen Z
Mon Aug 2

What’s faster than fast fashion? For Gen Z shoppers, it’s a company called Shein. What started in 2008 as a wedding dress seller has grown into a massive online retailer in over 200 countries. Currently valued at ~$21.05 million, the China-based company’s market share has more than tripled to 30% since the start of the year. Now some are questioning the costs of this rapid growth.

First, let’s dig into how this fully digital company got this far.

First and foremost is a supply chain of 5,000+ Chinese factories that enables them to pump out new products at low prices. Shein designs in-house but also works with factories’ designers to produce an enormous inventory, introducing thousands of new products daily.
Shein is basically real-time retail. While most retailers produce products in batches of at least 300, Shein has a unique, leveled-up relationship with factories and can crank out batches as small as 100 pieces. Once a product begins selling quickly, Shein can ramp up production instantly.
Shein was an early adopter of social media, promoting products even on Pinterest as far back as 2012. They now dominate TikTok, where content from both paid influencers and unpaid American customers regularly goes viral.
Then came Trump’s trade wars with China. In response to more tariffs, China began waiving export taxes for direct-to-consumer companies, like Shein. And because the U.S. exempts packages worth less than $800 (the bulk of Shein’s exports) from import taxes already, Shein paid neither import nor export taxes for three years — a benefit fashion retailers based elsewhere didn’t have.
And finally, in a delivery-obsessed world, Shein instead focused on product pricing. Even with their packages taking up to a week to deliver, customers flocked to their low price items (an entire outfit with accessories can be had for under $30). In fact, many were shocked when the Shein app overtook delivery-obsessed Amazon’s as the top U.S. shopping app on both iOS and Android earlier this year.

That said, not everyone is a fan. Critics worry over child labor violations, though no proof has emerged. Others decry Shein’s vague commentary on their green practices, especially as most of their clothes are made from synthetic fabrics (which release plastic microfibers into oceans during washing). And, Shein has...

Been involved in a number of copyright infringement lawsuits, with creators regularly sharing on social media how Shein steals their designs outright.
Had to apologize for their cultural insensitivity multiple times, such as when they sold a Buddhist swastika pendant, a Muslim prayer mat as a decorative rug, and a phone case with an image of a handcuffed Black person outlined in chalk.

What’s the alternative for cash-strapped shoppers? Besides less consumerism, not much. In fact, after Shein was banned in India (alongside other Chinese apps), cost-conscious consumers turned to thrifting instead. The hashtag #thriftindia returns over 270,000 hits on just Instagram. Now some are arguing this shift to thrift should be a trend others mimic for more environmentally-friendly shopping. Meanwhile in China, Shein is hardly known to consumers who have a wealth of options for low-priced clothing.

Our Sources:

→ Initial coverage: Wall Street Journal
→ Extensive company history: Vox
→ How Trump’s trade wars built Shein: Bloomberg
→ Shein overtakes Amazon: TechCrunch
→ India’s shift to thrift: Vice

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ASCII OF THE WEEK

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|         ____         |
|     ,``“”“”```.,     |
|    ;`  ;;,,,,,; )    |
|    )  /  ~  ~ \ )    |
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|        MATCHED       |
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|______________________|
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|           o          |
|______________________|


Swipe right for a good time... to pay the crime.



Art Credit: Below the Fold

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Below the Fold - even faster fast fashion

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