Child Labour: The dark secrets behind closed doors

Often times we walk into a store and see an item we like and proceed with purchasing it. We may consider the quality and the cost of the item but as consumers we never actually consider where a clothing item comes from or what process it went through to be sold to us at the time of purchase.

Now a bigger picture; the big brands we follow which in some senses determine the lifestyle we follow. We follow their styles as well as the lifestyle they try to promote but the leading question is do we agree with processes that take place behind the scenes of creating the products we wear?

What if you were told that a eight year old child was taken away from their home and family to create the shirt you are wearing under horrible and depriving conditions? Deprived of food, water and shelter as well as no education. It is estimated that about 170 million children are forced to do child labour to satisfy fashion demands in Europe and Canada but what does child labour actually mean?

According to the International Labour Organization child labour is defined as

“Work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development”

“work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development”

Big Companies and bigger secrets

Adidas, a recognizable sportswear company and an influential sensation amongst many young individuals claims that they provide suitable environments as well as a reasonable salary wage for their workers. This was deferred by when an Indonesian worker working in one of the Adidas factories in Indonesia came out to say that “The first-aid box is filled, and we’re told what to say if the inspector speaks to us. We have to tell them we’re paid the minimum wage, and we mustn’t tell them we work overtime at weekends”.

Recognizable swedish fashion brand Hennes & Mauritz, better known as H&M have been recognized for their human right controversies. Reports came out with alarming allegation against the famous european brand starting that they have been using child labour in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Cambodia and paying as little as 13 pence an hour. This caused H&M to have a drop in sales in the year 2018 however they did come out publicly saying that the legal age to work in Myanmar is fourteen after the allegations. The company clearly did defend their decision to participate in child labour with a more logical approach stating legal facts rather than a ethical approach raising many questions about the humanity aspect to the situation.

Why Children?

From the perspective of the consumer it could be uneasy to know that the shirt, jeans or shoes you are wearing is a product of forcing a young child to labour work however we never really explore the root of the issue which is why these companies use child labour.

Often times, companies emphasize the importance of their economic benefit rather than actually being ethical. It is known that cheap labour is freely available and offered to many of these big companies as a beneficial resource to produce a product for a much cheaper labour cost but why place specifically, children under these conditions?

A report by the centre for research on multinational corporations revealed that recruiters in Southern India convince parents in impoverished rural areas to send their daughters to a spinning mills with promises of a well paid job, three nutritious meals a day along with an education and comfortable accommodations. A family living in poverty would manifestly look at this opportunity as a way to better the already poor condition they are living in. Children are also obedient and can easily be manipulated into any form of labour. They do not have the full mental capacity to determine the right from wrong especially in the developmental years of life where they are still learning .

Unfortunately, child labour is an ongoing issue amongst many fashion companies. Remember; walking into a store, you are only exposed to half of the bigger picture.