CLOTHING LIBRARY
Modern Slavery - Alive and Thriving
In 9th grade, Sophie first learnt about the fashion industry’s connection to modern slavery.
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Confronted by the unethical working conditions and forced labour practices used to make our clothing, she sought guidance from the trusted adults in her life.
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Disappointed by their passive indifference, she found her calling in inspiring others to act against modern slavery.
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Sophie Nakamura, co-founder of the Griffith University Clothing Library, says her mission won’t be easy as the materialism deeply entrenched in our society is difficult to overcome.
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“I've been trying and trying to convince individuals to change their shopping habits and they're consumer choices to what seems like no avail,” Ms. Nakamura said.
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“It feels like I'm fighting a losing battle because the fast fashion industry has such a strong hold over us as young consumers.
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“We've never attached that much meaning to clothes and garments, which I think is something we've really lost. And then that's why It’s so easy for clothing companies to make profit off these ideas of changing seasons and changing styles and changing colours.
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“It's really profitable for them and it's so easy for us to fall into that trap.”
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But why should we change our consumer choices? What exactly is the connection between our clothes and modern slavery?
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More than 100 trusted global retailers source their cotton from the Xinjiang region, which accounts for 85% of China’s total cotton production.
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China is currently the leading supplier of cotton, but it isn’t advanced technology or extra land that allows them to produce large quantities to meet their international demand, it’s forced labour.
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Daria Toschi, Griffith University Senior Category Manager for Anti-Slavery, says millions are forced to produce cotton for China under the guise of vocational training.
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“[Modern slavery] refers to a situation where a person is exploited by another individual or organization for the personal or commercial gain and the key element is the lack of freedom. The person who's exploited is not able to set themselves free because they are forced,” Ms. Tosch said.
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“So traditionally, cotton is produced in a specific region in China and apparently these people are forced to work for the government picking cottons but also producing garments.
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“What happens in China is really state imposed forced labour. They call it vocational training, but actually these people are brought into these camps, and they are forced to work to pick the cotton and to manufacture the cotton.
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“They would just recruit people, especially men and kids, but also women for harvesting. So, they would drop everything they were doing, and they would have been brought to the field for picking cotton.”
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Ms. Nakamura says some individuals are lured into work through false promises of fair wages.
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“Often times they are women and children who are taken out of their homes. And, you know, promised pay, which might be more than what they have at the moment. But at the end of the day, yeah, they're being exploited day to day,” Ms. Nakamura said.
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“We think that's sort of something that's in the past, it doesn't happen anymore. But in reality, there's actually more people in slavery today than there has been any other time in history.”
Global Estimates of Modern Slavery reports roughly 16 million individuals are forced to work in the private economy.
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Victims of modern slavery are subjected to harsh working conditions that directly violate their human rights. Long working hours with zero breaks, unhygienic facilities, verbal abuse and unsafe environments are their norm.
HOW IS YOUR WORK DAY DIFFERENT TO THEIRS?
Ms. Nakamura says modern slavery is attractive to manufacturers and retailers as they compete in the ‘race to the bottom’.
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“Modern slavery is an issue which connects the developing and the developed world. You know, it is our appetite for clothes here in Australia and in other developed countries which facilitates modern slavery in developing countries,” Ms. Nakamura said.
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“It’s called the race to the bottom where we're trying to produce our clothes as cheaply as possible to generate as much profit as possible. And so, to do that, we will race to the bottom to create the most unethical, disgusting working conditions in these countries.
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“We'll go to the countries where labour is cheapest to be able to produce the clothes as cheaply as we can to create more customers, more profit.”
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So, does that mean all our favourite clothing labels are intentionally exploiting the vulnerable to win the ‘race to the bottom’?
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Ms. Toschi says some brands are unknowingly supporting modern slavery as the intricacy of the supply chain makes it difficult to trace the origin of materials.
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“You have so many components that come from different factories and usually you have a factory that brings everything together. So, as you can see, the chain is quite complex and fragmented,” Ms. Toschi said.
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“It's very difficult for the company who buys the product to really understand, to trace every single piece that went into the piece of garment.”
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Fashion Revolution reveals the average Traceability Score – how easy it is for fashion brands to disclose their supplier lists – is a low 28%.
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Ms. Toschi says a contributing factor to limited traceability may be a lack of due diligence.
“I think there is a mix – that companies really need to look at their bottom line and the other side is that it’s very difficult to trace,” Ms. Toschi said.
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“Companies should really put more emphasis on their due diligence and noting that in this respect, the Modern Slavery Act in Australia helps lift the bar so that companies are required to look into their supply chains.”
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Australia’s 2018 Modern Slavery Act does attempt to enforce accountability by requiring brands to investigate their supply chains, however, it only applies to companies with a revenue exceeding $100 million.
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Does this mean the fight against modern slavery is destined to remain a losing battle? What power do we as consumers have to make an impact?
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Ms. Nakamura says she founded the Clothing Library in hopes of raising awareness and providing an avenue for ethical shopping.
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“The clothing library was a really tangible way for me to be able to do something small to hopefully influence the way our Griffith community thinks about clothes and approaches shopping for clothes,” Ms. Nakamura said.
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“I think just having these conversations with all the people who come in, it's hopefully putting a second thought into the minds of people when they go shopping.
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“Next time they'll think twice about where they're shopping. And even if that doesn't translate necessarily into immediate action, I think we're very slowly one person at a time changing attitudes to clothes and we're providing also a tangible way for people to access clothes in an ethical way.”
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Ms. Toschi says conversation starters, such as the Clothing Library, are important to change consumer patterns that support modern slavery practices.
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“It is a way to support the community and really make people think, do I really need it? It's a great initiative from an ethical perspective.”