Susannah Williams

Research

Title of Research: Five years on from the Leicester Boohoo scandal: Why has there been limited progress in addressing the exploitation of migrant workers in fast fashion manufacturing in the UK?

Brief overview of research topic: My PhD research is situated within Critical Political Economy and Labour Migration Studies. It asks why exploitation in the fast fashion manufacturing industry in the UK persists. This follows the heightened media attention to the local industry after the 2020 Boohoo scandal exposed that UK migrant garment workers were being paid less than half the National Minimum Wage and in dangerous conditions. Some of this media attention and selective outrage seems to have partially shaped recent reforms to employment law (such as the Employment Rights Bill, 2024-2025), alongside attention to other industries in the UK that rely upon exploitation of migrant workers, such as social care and agriculture. Despite the UK being thought to have strong legislation (and Leicester, the hub of the UK textile and garment industry, is applauded by policymakers and regional experts for its strong governance), exploitation of migrant workers in this local industry has endured. It has, in fact, worsened and appears intractable. Consequently, my research is seeking to understand why this is the case, by considering local and global structural barriers to addressing exploitation in UK fast fashion production.

Qualifications

• MA Social Research, University of York (2022)
• MA International Relations, University of York (2020)
• BA (Hons) International Politics, Aberystwyth University (2019)

Publications

Conference Presentations

Paper presentations

• Williams, S.G. (2025). What challenges do actors surrounding the industry face when trying to address exploitation in fast fashion manufacturing in the UK? Presented at '12th PPP Annual Conference - Political Transitions: Continuity and Change' on 11 July 2025, People, Place and Policy.
• Williams, S.G. (2025). Led by community: disrupting coloniality through radical friendship in the York Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG). Presented at 'Discussing Decolonisation 2024/25 Summer Finale: Building the Movement' on 2 July 2025, York St John University.
• Williams, S.G. (2025). Evaluating Racial Capitalism as a Framework for Understanding the (Super)Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Fast Fashion Manufacturing in Leicester, UK. Presented at 'Inclusive Solidarities: Reimagining Boundaries in Divided Times' on 1-3 July 2025, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics.
• Williams, M. and Williams, S.G. (2025). Care, Community and Researching With. Presented at ‘'Race' and Socially Engaged Research: Open and Inclusive Conference for PGRs and ECRs' on 25-26 June 2025, York Anti-Racism Working Group.
• Williams, S.G. (2024). The UK Garment Manufacturing Industry's Political Economy Through a Postcolonial Feminist Lens. Presented at ‘Association for Heterodox Economics’ conference on 11 July 2024, Association for Heterodox Economics (AHE).
• Williams, S.G. and Labour Behind the Label (2024). Organising and Unionising with Migrant Workers. Workshop, presented at 'Ella Baker New Organising Conference' on 6 July 2024, Ella Baker School of Organising.
• Williams, M. and Williams, S.G. (2024). Researching 'With' Using Ethics of Care. Presented at ‘Doctoral Students Conference' on 24 April 2024, Manchester Metropolitan University.
• Smith, C.Q. and Williams, S.G. (2024). The impact of contested decarbonisation on peace: Carbon revenue governance in the Aceh and Papua regions’ predatory peace settlements: Preliminary results from a pilot study for the World Peace Foundation & US Institute of Peace. Presented to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) ministerial department, 1 February 2024.
• Williams, M. and Williams, S.G. (2024). Care, Community and Researching With: Disrupting the Neoliberalisation of Ethics in Higher Education Through an Ethics of Care Framework. Presented at ‘Equity in Education and Society’ conference on 31 January 2024, Institute for Educational and Social Equity.
• Gardner, P., Williams, S.G. and Macdonald, A. (2023). Glued on for the Grandkids: The gendered politics of care-as-emotion in the global environmental movement. Presented at ‘The emotional politics of social movements in global politics’ workshop on 28 March 2023, British International Studies Association (BISA) Emotions in Politics and International Relations (EPIR) Working Group.

Poster presentations

• Williams, S.G. (2025). Five years on from the Leicester Boohoo scandal: Why has there been limited progress in addressing the exploitation of migrant workers in fast fashion manufacturing in the UK? Presented at 'WRDTP 14th Annual Conference: Social Science, Care and Hope' on 17 June 2025, University of Sheffield and at ''Race' and Socially Engaged Research: Open and Inclusive Conference for PGRs and ECRs' on 25-26 June 2025, York Anti-Racism Working Group.
• Williams, M. and Williams, S.G. (2024). Care, Community and Researching With. Presented at ''Race' and Socially Engaged Research: Open and Inclusive Conference for PGRs and ECRs' on 19-20 June 2024, York Anti-Racism Working Group.

Public engagement

• Williams, S.G. (2025). What Goes Into Making Your Clothes? - And How Much Does It Cost? Interactive activity for children, presented at 'Fringe Family Fun Afternoon' on 7 June 2025, York Festival of Ideas.
• Williams, M. and Williams, S.G. (2024). Researching 'With' Using Ethics of Care. Workshop, presented at 'Skills for working in non-academic contexts' on 16 July 2024, Centre for Applied Human Rights.

Teaching

Teaching experience

I have been a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Writing Tutor in the Writing Centre at the University since January 2023, tutoring Undergraduate and Master's level students.

I additionally teach as a GTA in the Politics and International Relations Department, facilitating seminars for various Undergraduate modules. Please email me if you would like to inquire about my F&G hours.

I occasionally work as a consultant to facilitate educational workshops within the university, primarily pertaining to ethical research methods, including to Postgraduate level students.