Learnings & InsightsPage 2

To create real impact, we openly share new ideas, insights and practices to inspire others to replicate and scale.

Maria Bystedt, Strategy Lead at H&M Foundation
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Sometimes going forward means taking a step back

We aim to make lasting, positive changes in the world, and through the years we have improved the lives for millions of people across the world. However, even with the best intentions, things don’t always go as planned. By challenging ourselves and our partners to think innovatively to find improved solutions, we might triumph with one thing and nose-dive with another. It’s a learning process. “As so often, the biggest insights seem obvious once you reach them,” says Maria Bystedt at H&M Foundation.
Digital Accelerator Program for GCA 2020
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Fast tracking innovation and maintaining sanity in lockdown

Our Innovation Accelerator Program for the Global Change Award winners is designed to accelerate the development of their innovations to reach the market quicker and therefore driving change in the fashion industry. This year, our Accelerator delivered knowhow from an impressive list of guest speakers, but it also played an important role in giving a sense of belonging and moral support to our winners because of the pandemic.
Garment worker in Bangladesh
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Changing perceptions – from seamstress to robot operator

Though the majority of garment workers in Bangladesh are women, less than one percent has a leadership role. Furthermore, women are less represented than men in the more sophisticated machine operation roles. Ingrained stereotypes and attitudes are part of the problem, where Bangladeshi women are not perceived – by others and themselves – as capable of taking on more advanced roles. In our programme with the BBC Media Action, we are investigating if, and how, we can change perceptions to make sure women will still have a job in the future as the garment industry transitions to automation and digitalisation.
gca 2020 now open
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Five key takeaways from the GCA Accenture Trend Report

With over 20,000 entries received in the past five years, we can get unique insights in how innovators from over 200 countries and territories across the world, think and foresee the future of fashion. We let Accenture’s best data crunchers analyse the data which resulted in the Accenture Trend Report “Harnessing the Power of the Consumer”. Here are the main takeaways.
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600,000 people reached through programs for Education, Water and Equality

For the past three years, H&M Foundation and our partners UNICEF, WaterAid and CARE have reached and exceeded our goals within our global programs. Thousands of women have received support in order to start their own enterprises and have been able to lift their families out of poverty, vulnerable children have gained access to the care and stimulation they need to grow and develop, and communities, schools and health centers now have clean water and functioning toilets.