ISAFISPEAK #5 : Child Labour in Fast Fashion Industry

“Children are often targeted as labourers by the industry for their cheap pay and are tailored to specific low-skilled tasks. This practice is continuing even today due to the hugely complex supply chain that allows companies to blindly employ questionable factories as part of their production system. Child labour in every shape and form is an unethical and inhumane practice, and is never the answer to the complex supply chain that fashion companies are facing. Companies must be able to pace strict guidelines and employ firm, routine, and thorough audits along their supply lines to make sure that there are no child labour involved in every step of their production process. Finally companies must realize that the answer to their production challenges lies in a more humane system of labour, rather than exploiting children and minorities; and that turning a blind eye on what goes on in the production system also makes them complicit in the crime.”

“Child labour has been a serious concern for so long, especially in the fashion industry as it keeps growing and due to higher demand day by day. This such modern slavery crossed the way from human rights, Children should have more of their days at school and exploring new things they haven’t tried yet. There’s should be an organization to check the industry regularly to make sure that there’s no child labour anymore. For example, ILO can be the one who able to check the industries regularly. The industries also have to report regularly so when they being checked, there’s a report that can be responsible for, at last, there’s should be a transparency between the industry and the ILO so child labour can be reduces day by day because there is no right to work the low-skilled children and getting underpaid.”

“To completely get rid of fast fashion from our wardrobe is quite impossible, given that the fast fashion companies in size are very massive and many people rely on it because of its cheap price, availability, and the ever-changing models. But, the least we could do, as an individual, to opposed the child labour behind it, is by slowly transitioning to a more sustainable clothing, like thrifting or maybe buy from the ethically sourced brands. It may cost you a lot more, but it also comes with a much better quality and makes you feel less guilty rather than buying from an industry that are responsible for outsourcing child labour.”

“To be honest, I don’t even buy clothes from them in the first place, I prefer to buy comfy clothing though they aren’t branded stuff. Knowing issues like these just make me more proud of what i have been doing. We can really still look trendy without having branded stuff, there are a lot of clothing tips and hacks that we can follow on the internet to look trendy and do the right thing of not supporting child labour. I hope we don’t have to see more of these issues in the future.”