“In a globalized world where factories are in a “race to the bottom” to provide cheap fashion fast, children are often involved in the supply chain. For unscrupulous businesses, they constitute a cheap, compliant and easily exploited labour force.”
Child labour is defined as work that is likely to interfere with a child’s right to education, or harm the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. It is differentiated from work where children contribute to family income but which doesn’t affect their education, health or development, and which potentially has a positive impact.
The United Nations defines child labor as, “work for which the child is either too young – work done below the required minimum age – or work which, because of its detrimental nature or conditions, is altogether considered unacceptable for children and is prohibited.”
Fast fashion has engendered a race to the bottom, pushing companies to find ever-cheaper sources of labour. That cheap labour is freely available in many of the countries where textile and garment production takes place.
While child labor occurs all over the world, countries such as Egypt, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Bangladesh and China are some of the countries where child labor is common. Children are considered optimal employees because they are compliant, and the tasks that they perform in the fashion industry often require a low amount of skill. Children are seen as obedient workers who slip under the radar, making them easy to manage.
These tasks consist of picking cotton, spinning yarn, cutting thread and sewing which are much easier to complete with smaller hands. Children can be roped into these types of jobs through false promises of high wages and a hopeful future. A report through the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and The India Committee of the Netherlands recently revealed that many families are approached by recruiters who make promises that nobody in the family’s situation would be able to turn down. They assure them that their children will receive high wages, eat three times a day and even promise the possibility of schooling and training. Families and children are also promised a lump sum after a certain amount of years making the opportunity almost impossible to turn down given tough social and economic circumstances.
A vicious cycle
Child labour arises from poverty and directly reinforces intergenerational poverty. Child labourers miss out on an education and, like their own parents, are consequently more likely to have low-paid work as adults, which will then affect their children’s later life chances.
The impact of physical work and long hours on a child’s body (even non-hazardous work deemed safe for an adult) can cause health problems that can impair their life as an adult, restrict their earning ability and increase the likelihood that their children will need to begin working early.
The fashion industry has struggled for years to tackle child labour and modern slavery within its supply chain, which remains complex and opaque. Many companies have made progress, tightening their ethical standards and conducting more frequent and rigorous factory audits. But problems persist, particularly further down the supply chain, where many companies have little visibility.
What can we do?
The world we live in encompasses a vast amount of inequality, which no doubt exacerbates child labour and the exploitation of millions. As informed citizens, we have a responsibility to use our voices and our wallets to create change. If consumers refuse to buy products from companies that are known to use child labour, then it becomes worthwhile for them to find other means of production. This has been shown to work in the past with companies like Nike, which reformed its labour policies due to consumer pressure.
Although it can sound very bleak, things are actually improving. The number of children in child labour has declined by one-third since 2000, from 246 million to 168 million children. More than half of them (85 million) are in hazardous work (down from 171 million in 2000). This was particularly the case for girls engaged in child labour, the rate of which fell by 40% since 2000, compared to 25% for boys
Despite being somewhat overwhelming, these stats tell an encouraging story.There are several accreditations, such as Fair Trade and Child Labor Free working to eradicate the worst forms of child labour.
The debates surrounding child labour are complex, which is why they require careful attention. Marginalised children and adults both need better options so that they can begin to break the cycle of poverty. As consumers, we can take responsibility for our own small role in the system.
It is possible to pay workers a fair wage and still make beautiful, affordable fashion. By choosing to support companies that don’t exploit the world’s most vulnerable groups, we can send a strong message to companies and their stakeholders.
The Plus Plum 