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.
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
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