Modern Slavery, Forced Labour and Criminal Exploitation in the Fashion Industry

What is modern slavery and how does it relate to small fashion businesses? In this video, we uncover the true cost of labour exploitation in the supply chain with truly shocking figures.

Slavery has been abolished. Today, worldwide, slavery is prohibited in both international and domestic law, but in practice, it continues to thrive globally and within the UK.

If you’re a fashion or accessories business, chances are you’ll have a fairly complex supply chain involving many parties. So where do you start? 

It is easy to miss the subtleties of forced labour. This lesson will help you to identify the telltale signs of forced labour, even in a complex supply chain.

Finding modern slavery in your supply chain leaves you with a difficult predicament - how to handle it in a way that is going to be most effective, without risking causing further harm to those being exploited? In this video, we will examine what to do if you do discover that slavery or exploitation is taking place in your supply chain. 

Cited as the fastest-growing international crime, it is estimated that 50 million people worldwide are in modern slavery. 

As hard as it may be, you need to come to terms with the fact that you benefit from the exploitation of others. Products you buy, from the items in your kitchen cupboards and the clothes in your wardrobes to your technological devices, are all likely to be inextricably linked to labour exploitation and abuse. It's not as simple as donating money to charity and letting someone else do the work on our behalf. We actively have to make changes. 

Modern slavery is a hugely complex issue that is hard to identify and even harder to address. However, in this Masterclass, we walk you through its nuances, how to spot it, and how to mitigate it so that we can begin to eradicate it.  

In this Masterclass, we cover:

• What modern slavery is
• The scale of modern slavery today and its economic cost
• How slavery relates to fashion and where it can be found in a fashion supply chain
• How individuals and businesses can take steps to tackle modern slavery 
• Why it's so challenging to identify forced labour in a supply chain
• The red flags to look out for, both in the workplace and in workers' behaviour 
• The four key areas of activity for identifying and preventing modern slavery
• What to do if you do discover slavery in your supply chain
• The questions to ask your suppliers to identify the risk of modern slavery in their businesses
• How to speak to the victims of modern slavery
• What to do about child exploitation in your supply chain 
• What to do if victims do not want to accept help 

Cited as the fastest-growing international crime, it is estimated that 50 million people worldwide are in modern slavery. 

As hard as it may be, you need to come to terms with the fact that you benefit from the exploitation of others. Products you buy, from the items in your kitchen cupboards and the clothes in your wardrobes to your technological devices, are all likely to be inextricably linked to labour exploitation and abuse. It's not as simple as donating money to charity and letting someone else do the work on our behalf. We actively have to make changes. 

Modern slavery is a hugely complex issue that is hard to identify and even harder to address. However, in this Masterclass, we walk you through its nuances, how to spot it, and how to mitigate it so that we can begin to eradicate it.  

In this Masterclass, we cover:

• What modern slavery is
• The scale of modern slavery today and its economic cost
• How slavery relates to fashion and where it can be found in a fashion supply chain
• How individuals and businesses can take steps to tackle modern slavery 
• Why it's so challenging to identify forced labour in a supply chain
• The red flags to look out for, both in the workplace and in workers' behaviour 
• The four key areas of activity for identifying and preventing modern slavery
• What to do if you do discover slavery in your supply chain
• The questions to ask your suppliers to identify the risk of modern slavery in their businesses
• How to speak to the victims of modern slavery
• What to do about child exploitation in your supply chain 
• What to do if victims do not want to accept help