Image for Fashion brands join campaign to stop slavery in supply chains

Fashion brands join campaign to stop slavery in supply chains

Stella McCartney and People Tree among the companies taking action in partnership with charity International Justice Mission

Stella McCartney and People Tree among the companies taking action in partnership with charity International Justice Mission

From clothes to shoes and even makeup, many of the products we wear and use every day have slavery within their supply chains. An estimated 25 million people are in forced labour or slavery worldwide.

Now, anti-slavery charity International Justice Mission (IJM) has teamed up with 15 fashion brands, including Stella McCartney and People Tree, to take action on the subject. They have created a campaign to show UK consumers how they can help prevent slavery in supply chains.

Support journalism that inspires and empowers people Good journalism has a cost. As an independent media organisation, to publish our inspiring journalism we rely on financial contributions from people like you, who share our vision for a more constructive and balanced media. Support Positive News from just £1

Charlotte Instone, ethical supply chain expert and founder of online ethical retail fashion retailer Know The Origin, said: “The fashion industry is one of the top industries built on the back of slavery. From farming to factory work, slavery is prevalent. It is not limited to bad working conditions but manifests in daily physical, verbal and sexual abuse faced by garment workers.

“There are ways we can produce garments and shop with confidence that we are not only not purchasing products produced through slavery but are actively tackling it too.”

The campaign urges people to make ‘slave-free’ normal, by buying ethically, including: championing brands that are taking action against slavery; asking their favourite brands what action they are taking to stop exploitation in their supply chains; and supporting bodies like IJM in tackling the issue at source.

Image: Kasia Rucinska for IJM

Fed up with negative news? Can you help us?

The negativity bias in the media is holding society back. While it’s important to report problems and hold power to account, we believe there is also a need for rigorous reporting on progress, possibility and solutions. We call this ‘constructive journalism’, and to keep doing it we need your help.

We know you want Positive News to benefit as many people as possible, so we haven’t put up a paywall. We don’t answer to and rely on a wealthy proprietor because, instead, we are owned co-operatively by 1,500 of our readers who joined our crowdfund in 2015. And we’re not beholden to advertisers either, because we know that you only want to hear about companies that have a positive impact.

So, instead, we depend on you. Positive News is more than a magazine, it’s a community of people who see and share the good in the world. We need your support to continue publishing our inspiring journalism and to set the example for other media to follow. It’s quick and easy to contribute and you can support Positive News from just £1. Every contribution makes a vital difference. Thank you for helping us to change the news for good.

Read it and don’t weep.

Headlines about what’s going right in the world are now being shared with millions of people through digital screens on high streets and in shopping centres all around the UK.