COUNTRY PROFILE RO ROMANIA Population 19.7 Mio Garment/footwear factories(formal and informal) 9,000 Employees in the garment/footwear industry(formal and informal) 400,000 Registered garment workers as a share in the total employment 5% One day of a garment workers’ stay at home husband Garment workers, mostly women, earn some of the lowest wages in the world while making clothes for some of the biggest fashion brands. Romania has about 300,000 of icial garment workers, who usually earn a minimum wage of about 230 EUR after tax. Workers we spoke to said they need their wages to triple to have a decent life. While many assume that women’s salaries are just a small part of the familly income, in reality many of these workers support entire families from their wages alone. So far, no one has photographed what life entails for women workers who are main breadwinners in their family. They are often afraid to be photographed to avoid losing their jobs. We decided to tell their stories with the help of their unemployed husbands. László, 52, is unemployed since he had his arm injured 17 years ago. Earning 5-10 RON (2-3 Eur) daily with occasional work he can barely contribute to household expenses. His wife, who works in the garment industry, is the family’s main breadwinner.