Society.
Zeeman School.
At Zeeman, we are zuinig of talent and ambition. We train our employees and give them opportunities to grow. For many years now, the Zeeman School has given our store personnel the opportunity to obtain a vocational education or to take part in an internal workshop.
Save Our Sisters projects in the production countries.
At Zeeman, we believe in contributing to the communities where our products are made. Through our Save Our Sisters programme, we support projects in India and Bangladesh that help girls and young women who have experienced human trafficking and sexual exploitation. In Pakistan, our focus is on increasing women's participation in the labour market and creating new opportunities for economic independence.
India.
Since 2005, Zeeman has partnered with the Vipla Foundation in Mumbai through the Save Our Sisters programme. The project supports girls who have been rescued from forced prostitution and helps them rebuild their lives. After rescue, the girls are taken into the care of local authorities, while the programme provides additional support such as education, vocational training, employment guidance and psychological care.
In 2024, our various programmed helped 698 girls. 208 of them received an education, from primary schooling to vocational training. 25 girls chose entrepreneurship training, while 93 opted for beauty & wellness and garment making. In total, we helped 6 girls find employment and guided 42 girls in establishing their own small businesses. The girls we help in this programme receive three years of follow-up support.
Alongside education and livelihood support, the programme provides psychological counselling through group sessions for girls staying in shelters after their rescue. Legal assistance is also available to those pursuing action against those responsible for their trafficking..
Bangladesh.
The project in Bangladesh complements the work carried out in India. Many young girls trafficked into prostitution in India originally come from Bangladesh. The programme focuses on supporting these girls when they return home, providing them with a safe environment and the care they need to recover and rebuild their futures.
A new shelter, opened in 2023, provides accommodation and support for up to 20 girls at a time. Between March and December 2024, the shelter provided care for 43 victims of trafficking, while another eight girls were protected from exploitation before it could occur.
The programme helps girls recover from trauma, continue their education and prepare for the future. Where possible, efforts are also made to reunite them with their families. Beyond supporting individual girls, the project invests in prevention. Through awareness sessions in surrounding villages, parents and girls aged 10 to 16 learn about the tactics used by traffickers and the importance of staying in education, helping to reduce the risk of future exploitation.
Pakistan.
While the projects in India and Bangladesh focus on recovery and protection, Zeeman's work in Pakistan aims to increase women's participation in the workforce. Supported through funding from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the project helps women develop the skills needed to work in the garment sector. In 2024, Zeeman teamed up with Schijvens Corporate Fashion to launch a project at three factories, two of which are Zeeman suppliers. At each factory, 30 women were selected to receive training for work in sewing workshops.
To support the integration of female workers, participating factories adapted their facilities by creating dedicated spaces for women. Existing male employees were also prepared for the changes. By expanding opportunities for women to enter the workforce, the project contributes to greater economic independence and inclusion within the local garment industry.
Donations.
We almost never have unsold goods. If there is anything left over, we put it on clearance. If anything remains unsold, or if we have items that we can not sell for any other reason, we donate them to charity. We work with a fixed partner, the Sarfath Foundation. The items we donate end up with people who can put them to good use, in countries like Romania and Syria.
Good, safe products.
Operating with sustainability in mind also means that we want to offer products with a long lifespan. That is why we pay a lot of attention to the quality of our products. A long-term partnership with a supplier is of great importance in order to be able to guarantee quality. Customers can rely on the quality of our products because our suppliers know our standards.
We test the quality of our products.
All products meet our quality standards, and we pay close attention to maintaining those standards. Of course, there are legal requirements that a product must meet. But not everything is laid down in law, so we have also set our own quality requirements. So we work according to fixed, general quality standards. In addition, we regularly test the quality of our products. We perform simple tests ourselves. If the needed test is more complicated, we go to a lab. For example, we perform wash tests, shrinkage tests, color-fastness tests, and lint tests. We believe that the quality of our products should always be good.
Random quality tests in partnership with TÜV Rheinland.
Additional random testing is performed every year in partnership with TÜV Rheinland. Items (in particular high-risk items) are taken directly from the shelves and tested by TÜVR.
The results of the annual additional tests conducted by TÜV Rheinland show that 93% of the articles tested (650 articles in total) met our safety standards. Corrective action was taken where necessary, ranging from replacing specific parts to completely withdrawing a product from sale. We continuously improve our safety and quality processes in collaboration with our agents.
