Linda Schraml hands over the management of the Textiles Partnership Secretariat to Gina Burgard
Over the past two years, the Textiles Partnership has made important progress with the implementation of the realignment under the leadership of Linda Schraml, for example through the realization of joint projects in the focus areas of gender equality, grievance mechanisms and redress, living wages, responsible purchasing practices, circular economy and climate-friendly production – both among members and in partner and production countries.
Gina Burgard has been in charge of the Secretariat since the beginning of November and describes it as both a new beginning and a return. Before moving to GIZ, she represented a BNT member in the Partnership for several years and has therefore known the Partnership almost from the beginning. Most recently, she led a GIZ project on sustainability and increasing value creation in the cotton and textile sector in Uzbekistan, where she gained valuable insights into the textile supply chain.
As Head of the Partnership Secretariat, she will be responsible for the strategic direction and design of the Partnership as well as member management, committee work, the joint implementation of focus topics and communication, and the development and maintenance of the cooperation network.
Gina Burgard: “For the future of the Partnership, I would like us to continue to expand the focus on local impact. Thematically, the reorientation should continue to be driven forward with a focus on joint commitment and taking into account the legal environment. It is an honor for me as head of the secretariat, together with my great team, to support the members of the BNT in the future to further advance the social and ecological transformation of textile supply chains!”
The GIZ sector project “SETTS”: Social and ecological transformation of textile supply chains
The German government has been working for years to improve working and living conditions in the textile and clothing industry, as well as to promote gender equality and reduce the environmental impact of textile production. The GIZ sector project SETTS, financed by the BMZ, bundles three important instruments as solution contributions that drive the transformation of global supply chains: the multi-stakeholder initiative Textile Partnership, the state-run Green Button label and the platform Siegelklarheit.
Short biography of Gina Burgard
Gina Burgard most recently managed a project for GIZ on sustainability and value added in the cotton and textile sector in Uzbekistan. Before joining GIZ in 2019, for several years she was responsible at a German retailer for compliance with environmental and social standards in the non-food supply chain, with a focus on textiles. In this role, she already had points of contact with the Partnership, as she represented the company in the Chemicals Management and Sustainable Cotton working groups, among others. Gina studied International Management and International Development Studies in Bremen, Marburg, Santiago de Chile and Stellenbosch (South Africa).