Following the Commission’s intervention in January, H&M publicly committed to eradicate any form of prejudice within their company. In line with the Commission’s focus on the relationship between business and human rights, and the SAHRC’s intervention being in line with this focus, H&M committed to showing the people of South Africa that it is concerned with the impact their business has on communities.

Since the Commission’s intervention, the retailer has co-hosted a workshop with the Anti-Racism Network of South Africa to develop a deeper understanding of the offence the garment advertised and sold, provoked. H&M, in collaboration with another civil society organisation, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), developed a training programme for all office and store managers, which was implemented in May and August this year. H&M and the Commission are currently engaged in discussions for 2019 training programmes.

The Commission notes that company has appointed a global transformation lead, Annie Wu, who reports directly to the H&M Group CEO on matters of diversity and inclusiveness and that H&M South Africa appointed a Sustainability Manager for the business’s operation in South Africa. The local Sustainability Manager, together with the company’s Human Resources team, is responsible for implementing and driving various diversity projects within the local organisation.

It is the Commission’s hope that H&M and other enterprises understand that they do not operate within a vacuum, immune to the respect and attainment of human rights. The Commission will continue in its endeavours to protect, promote and monitor the attainment of human rights throughout all facets of society, including business.

Ends
For further information contact the Gauteng Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission: Buang Jones, Provincial Manager, T: 011 877 3752 / C: 078 617 0476; E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.