Category: Child Labour

The industrialization era brought many types of technology that made farmer’s lives much easier but in the progressive era we try to help workers from factories and children from mines make their lives safer, by giving children an opportunity to go to school and my adding safe fire exits for workers.

The horrific tragedy occured on March 25th, 1911. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory the fire broke out on the top floors. It was burning and the fire spread quickly, the owners locked the door because they thought that the workers would steal their product. The hallway is long and narrow, the door was inward it was hard to open when the workers would run towards the door and they would line up pushing it, some even went too far by jumping out through the window to their deaths. When the firefighters came in the they tried to use the ladder but it couldn’t reach the workers. Half an hour later 146 out of 500 workers have died in the fire mostly young women died, some bodies were so badly charred that they couldn’t be identified. In the end the factory owners Blanck and Harris were charged with first and second degree manslaughter. After the tragedy the there was later a development of laws and safety rules to make the working conditions safer for the workers. New York passed the Sullivan Hoey Fire Prevention on October 1911 and it required all factories to have sprinkler systems to not let it happen again. New York also passed laws to make it safer other cities and states would follow this suit. Many states also adopted workers compensation laws, which set up funds to pay workers who were hurt on the job.

Many children around the age of 10 to 12 would work in mines that would roughly get around 50 to 60 cents, some have never been inside of a school, in Virginia it was legal for boys around 12 to work in mines day and night. Working in the mines for children was damaging physically with cut, broken, or crushed fingers. They would scream out loud because of an accident, working in the mines deformed them into old men, they would get tangled with the machines, sometimes kids would fall into the chute and come out dead. This act was later resolved when congress added many laws so that the children working there could have a safer and better opportunity and go to school by. A lawyer named Florence Kelley helped convince the state of Illinois to ban child labor, Kelley also helped in 1902 for the National Child Labor Committee which successfully lobbied the federal government to create the U.S Child Bureau in 1912. In 1916 Congress passed the Keating-Owens Act to ban child labor in all states, but was called unconstitutional. It wasn’t until in 1938 Congress got rid of child labor for good.

Times were tough back then because they didn’t have the resources that we have today it’s great not that we have a safety fire exit in every building so that no one would have to know what they saw in the shirtwaist fire tragedy, and better yet the children are safe in schools and aren’t outside doing things that could get themselves killed in their age.

The Industrial Revolution was an era that ranged from the 18th century through the 19th. During this process, machines and new contraptions began to emerge, the idea of future modernization and inventiveness was beginning to enter its prime stage. Industrialization affected the globe with its arising pragmatic ideas. It enhanced several aspects such as the restructuring of societies, money, resources, and even opened up ideas of philosophy. People went out of their way to work outside their homes’ local environment for the first time since the Neolithic Revolution. Every morning they would wake themselves up and head on to their place of work. Most often, these places of work were located in factories. The new machines being used was highly important. These types of machinery were needed to meet consumer demand, sometimes requiring numerous acres of floor space.

The quality of life was highly determined by skill. The more one could do, the more premium life would be. The most significant aspect of this new economic order was the fact that the skills required to succeed differed in several ways from those that were required for the previous economy. Although the change didn’t gratify some, most happily approved of the law. The time of transition to the new industry standard was easiest, especially for artisans. The high-development of their manual skills made it much easier for them to adapt to new equipment than their less informed agriculture peers. The rural workers followed a certain method that exhibited a working cycle that followed the seasons over the centuries. There were times when it was expected that the people put long hours into their work. They would perform labor commonly from the crack of dawn to the fall of night. The term ‘harvest moon,’ now considered a picturesque metaphor for autumn celebrations, was a very important astronomical occurrence in back in Europe before the enhancement of industrialism. It enabled farmers to harvest their crops with added time to spare. Fortunately, the winters weren’t too harsh.. Most people kept in bed half of the day without electricity and central heating, thus providing ease from the busy seedling and harvesting occasions.

The industrial economy produced a new set of regulations and timeframes for the common worker. Not only were workplaces being moved inside to factories, but the pace of labor began to shift drastically. The machines drove the worker, rather than workers using horses that pulled plows or wagons. Essentially, the labor the workers engaged in began to physically exhaust them. The time spent at work no longer depended on the seasons of the year as it used to. Adult males were expected to work for almost half a day nonstop, five days a week, throughout the entire year. It was an extremely difficult transition that the workers clearly were not ready for. Many people that were once considered to be highly productive farm workers could no longer continue their employment because they could not adapt to this new work system.

During this era of increased machinery and advanced work, women underwent drastically harsher conditions men did. When it came to labor, women were seen as equally suitable as men. The Industrial Revolution caused a change in their status as citizens. Though, with new status came new opportunities for them to be used for exploitation. In general, they had the least qualified, lowest paid jobs. Both their bosses and husbands regularly shamed them. To add on, women were not only responsible for their jobs in the industry but their role as women as well. Women were put to work for ten hours in the factory, and even then their work didn’t stop there. They would continue to work once they arrived home because they were to sustain their roles as a woman at home.

Children too were affected by the rapid growth of industrial reformation. Usually, children were expected to help the family but were given tasks appropriate for their ages. Children of all ages were beginning to become taken advantage of by their employers. The large textile cloth weaving machines were the most dangerous task given to children in the factories. The fabric tended to jam in small areas a majority of the time. The bosses took this as a chance to use the children to unjam the machines since their limbs were small as opposed to those of the adults. The foremen would insist the children switch the machine off without bothering to power off the engine. Quite frequently this backfired and a hand or entire arm would be seized and pulled in, severely damaging the child. Soon, all workers began to be viewed as components that could be replaced instantly. The employers began to value the success of the machines greater than their workers as the technology advanced and machines became more sophisticated.

Because of the Industrial Revolution, urban populations increased. There were secondary factors like unemployment and poverty, but the overcrowding was a major problem. There were secondary factors like unemployment and poverty, but the overcrowding was a major problem. In order to pursue jobs through industrialization, thousands of people were brought into urban areas. The large group of workers seeking work were not fully prepared for urban subsistence conditions. The excessive massive population caused social dysfunction and rapid growth in property and human crimes.

Abstract

Does the violation of Child Rights lead to Child Labour problem? Violation of Child Rights is a topic of great concern in every country of the world since the Industrial Revolution, Globalization, and Privatization etc. Under these entire situations, Child Rights are denied and these factors have led to the creation of such circumstances where millions of children worldwide are denied of their basic rights irrespective of their age, gender, birthplace, race, religion etc. Out of total population, in India, children account for more than one-third but their interests are never given priority. And their rights are violated every single day. Above all these reasons, presently COVID-19 is another compelling factor which is denying the rights of the Child Rights and paving the way for the rise in the number of Child Labour Problem, especially in India. Several Rights of the Child have been recognized by the Constitution, Legislation and various committees. India is the first country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children in 1992 emphasizing that all children are born with fundamental rights. This paper is going to discuss the Rights of the Child, and analyze how Covid-19 Pandemic is the reason for increasing the number of Child Labour Problem in India. According to the International Moral Code of Right and Wrong Behavior, ‘human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthrights of all human beings’.

Introduction

Children are the precious gift to humanity and Childhood is an important and impressionable stage of human life. Children grow everyday and cannot wait for tomorrow. The life of a child should consist full of joy and peace, learning, playing, and growing. Hence child rights must be ensured. Child rights are those rights that an individual possesses by being a child. The journey towards achieving child rights is a journey to not only help children survive but also thrive and transform into the best versions of themselves. But in reality, this is not the case. Basic rights of millions of children are denied and their childhoods are stolen from them by abuse, exploitation, or slavery. Therefore, Child labour is a violation of child rights hindering their development, potentially leading to lifelong psychological or physical damage.

Child Labour in India

In India, child labour is a chronic socio-economic phenomenon, despite Constitutional, Legislative, Legal measures etc. As per the 2011 Population Census, Children in the age group of 0-14 constituted about 360 million and accounted for 35.3 per cent of the total population. Children in the 5-14 age groups constituted about 251 million and are 24.6 per cent of the total population. Of these, 4.35 million were categorized as main workers and 5.76 million as marginal workers. Sixty-two per cent of child labourers were concentrated in agriculture, forestry and fishing, followed by industries and services.

By Census of India projections, the proportion of children (0 to 14) has further come down to 32.1 per cent during 2011. Elementary school-age children (5 to 14) in the total population constituted 241.7 million accounting for 21.7 per cent of the total population. The reduction in the proportion of children is attributed to the drastic reduction in the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in many of the major states, especially in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. On the other hand, TFR remains high in some of the major states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. It is seen that the Proportion of children in the population has implications for the incidence of child labour.

According to Census of India, 2011, there were 12.26 million working children in the age group of 5-14 years as compared to 11.3 million in 1991 revealing an increasing trend in absolute numbers though the work participation rates of children (5-14) have come down from 5.4 per cent during 2001 to 5 per cent during 2011.

WPR for different age groups among children, the trend is different. The WPR for children in 5 to 9 age group has marginally increased from less than 1 per cent during 2001 to 1.4 per cent during 2011. In the case of 10-14 years age group children, the decline is only marginal from 10.4 per cent from 2001 to 8.7 per cent during 2011. This indicates that a considerable of children in between the age group 10 to 14 years are in the labour force despite the decline in the proportion of children in the total population.

As per the census data, the trend in the magnitude of child labour is not uniform across the country. There is across the board decline in the incidence of child labour in the Southern and Western Indian States and UTs between 2001 and 2011. However, there has been an increasing trend in the Eastern and North Indian States and UTs. There is an increase in the absolute magnitude of child labour between 2001 and 2011 in the states of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The state of Andhra Pradesh is having the largest child labour force in the country. Andhra Pradesh is the second-largest state in terms of magnitude by 2011 Census.

Child Rights in Post-Independence Period

In the Constitution of India, there are several articles incorporated and dedicated to children, viz.:- Article 14 The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law within the territory of India. Article 15 The State shall not discriminate against any making any special provisions for women and children. Article 21 No person shall be deprived of his/her personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law. Article 21 A the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6-14 years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine. Article 23 Traffic in human beings and the beggar and other forms of forced labour are prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable under the law. Article 24 A child under the age of 14 years should not be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment. Article 45 The State shall provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years. Article 243G read with Schedule 11 provide for the institutionalization of child care by seeking to entrust programmes of Women and Child Development to Panchayat (Item 25 of Schedule 11), apart from education (item 17 of Schedule 11), family welfare (item 25 of Schedule 11), health and sanitation (item 23 of Schedule 11) and other items with a bearing on the welfare of children.

Directive Principles of State Policy

The general provisions under Article, 38, 42, 43, 45 and 47 of Directive Principles of State Policy, although do not deal directly with child welfare but provides a strategy for indirectly promoting the welfare of children. Article-42 and 43 says to provide favourable human conditions of work and hold out a promise that the State shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation, economic organization or in any other way to provide for all workers, a living wage with specified conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full employment of leisure and social and culture opportunities. This includes child labourers in the widest sense. Article-46 provides the provisions for promotion, with special care of the educational and economic interest of SC and STs and other weaker sections of the society. Article-47 emphasizes raising the standard of living of people by the State. These also include children in their purview. While estimating the progress and implementation of these provisions, it is noteworthy that child labour is increasing day by day.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

This convention is the most widely ratified convention and every country in the world, except for two, have signed and agreed to abide by it. The Convention recognizes that children, as a special and vulnerable group in society, should have a set of basic rights and protections that ensure their access to education, health care and legal, civil and social services that protect them from harm exploitation and abuse. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children – that India ratified in 1992 – all children are born with fundamental rights.

Article 19: Protection to the children from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation. Article 27: Recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for social development. Article 28 & 29: The right to education. Article 31: The right to play. Article 32: Protection to the child from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s health, education, or harmful to the child’s mental, physical, moral, spiritual, or social development. And a right to achieve these dreams.

Violation of Child Rights during COVID-19 Pandemic

As per ILO estimates currently 152 million children are engaged in child labour, out of which India accounts for close to 7.3 per cent and at global level child labour had been gradually coming down in the past two decades, but the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to reverse that trend. The International Labour Organization and UNICEF had warned that millions of children would be forced into child labour as family incomes dropped worldwide and the pandemic could undo the gains achieved in the past 20 years to decrease child labour by 94 million. When stringent lockdown measures were announced in March to contain the pandemic, apart from innumerable problems, there is a violation of child rights and this is paving the way to the aggravation of the child labour problem in India. Due to Covid-19, the schools were closed down, labour laws were relaxed and migration of adult workers, child labour and exploitation of children rose exponentially.

Closure of schools

Encouraging children to go to school through various legislative and constitutional acts is considered an important preventive measure against child labour. But as schools are closed for the foreseeable future, children are forced to stay at home, which increases their risk of getting pushed into the labour market. Families who have lost the income source force the children be engaged in home-based or agricultural work. Out-of-school children are at greater risk of becoming the victims of trafficking, begging, debt bondage and other indecent and exploitative work conditions. The Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking protection for children who were at risk of becoming “hapless victims of human trafficking, in the wake of, and as an aftermath of, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant extended lockdown”.

COVID Lockdown Stopped Mid-Day Meals for Children. In India, Government schools provide mid-day meals to 120 million school-going children. Approximately 95 million children under 6 years of age are receiving supplementary nutrition at Anganwadi centres (AWC) across the country. Due to the closure of not only schools but also AWCs, millions of children have been deprived of the source of nutrition. Already 40 per cent of children in India are malnourished; the COVID pandemic is further exacerbating malnutrition.

Relaxation of labour laws

During the lockdown, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Assam made relaxations to the Factories Act, 1948. The relaxations consist of the extension of a factory worker’s daily shift from eight to 12 hours a day, six-day week, limited time for rest, reduction in inspections and monitoring by authorities, grievance redress mechanisms are restricted and limited collective bargaining through labour unions. Many of these 11 States have a high burden of child and adolescent labour and therefore there might witness a rising demand for the children in small scale businesses, home-based enterprises and the agricultural sector. Since child labour is cheap and “cost-effective”- such relaxations might encourage the employers to exploit these changes to hire children as they have lower bargaining power and are mostly unable to press for their rights. As per a survey undertaken by the ILO in 2007 in the northern regions of India, the wage differences between employing a child versus employing an adult varied significantly. While an adult was paid ninety-five rupees whereas a child was paid only forty-three rupees for the same work, the survey revealed.

Migrant Labourers

One of the most jarring effects of Covid-19 in India is said to have left 120 million without employment as of May 2020. Many of these job cuts have happened to the more marginalized communities without adequate social security nets, like migrant labourers. According to the World Bank, in India, 12 million people have a chance of slipping below the poverty line due to pandemic-related job losses. Poverty is correlated with child labour. According to child rights activist and Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, it is feared that nearly six crore children will be pushed down the poverty line as a result of the current crisis across the nation. Of these children, a considerable portion of children will join the child workforce. United Nations Children’s Fund and ILO’s joint report estimates that a 1 percentage point rise in poverty leads to at least a 0.7 percentage point increase in child labour. Furthermore, previous financial vulnerability compelling parents to send their children to work.

Measures to be taken by the Government to combat Child Labour during Covid-19

• Governments should target economic assistance, including cash transfers, to the low-income communities that will be hit first and hardest, to help poor and other vulnerable families to meet their basic needs without resorting to child labour or child marriage.
• Governments should guarantee the right of every child to an adequate standard of living following international human rights law.
• Governments should expand food-distribution programs for vulnerable families, including by distributing free lunches from schools.
• Governments should suspend cut-offs to utilities, most especially to water and wastewater services, for failure to pay and reconnect households previously disconnected to uphold the right of access to water.
• Governments should enforce child labour laws and laws against child marriage and should increase information sharing on referral and other support services available for children at risk of exploitation, including child labour and child marriage.

Conclusion

There is the urgency for the state governments to take immediate and accelerated efforts to address this issue, otherwise India including the World countries lose the battle of eliminating all forms of child labour by 2025, a commitment under the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Government of India responded with an economic stimulus package called the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan as well as several state-level policy changes to revitalize the economy. Apart from various measure and steps to strengthen the migrants and their children, to ensure education even during pandemic situation bring down the impact of COVID -19 on child labour in India.

References

1. VV Giri National Labour Institute, 2000, ‘Child Labour in Home Based Industries in the wake of the leg.
2. Grootaert, C., and R. Kanbur. 1995. Child labour: An economic perspective. International Labour Review 134:187-201.
3. Children in India 2012, A Statistical Appraisal, Social Statistics Division Central Statistics Office Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India.
4. Jihye Kim, Wendy Olsen, Arkadiusz Wiśniowski. A Bayesian Estimation of Child Labour in India.
5. Kaushik Basu, Child Labor: Cause, Consequence, and Cure, with Remarks on International Labor Standards: Journal of Economic Literature Vol. XXXVII (September 1999) pp. 1083–1119.
6. Suresh Lal B et al.2019, Child Labour In India: An Investigation In Socio-Economic And Health Conditions of Tribes. Int J Recent Sci Res. 10(07), pp. 33798-33802. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2019.1007.3751.
7. https://www.hindustantimes.com/India faces lost generation as Covid-19 pushes children to work.
8. Dr Geeta Chopra, COVID Has Undone Child Rights Progress. Here’s What Govt Must Do, Published: 20 Jul 2020, the quint.com.

Poetry has been used to convey feelings and emotions since 1200 BCE. It’s an art which encourages us to see things differently and transports us beyond the page, into mindscapes that teach us about ourselves. I’m Alice Walker, and you’re listening to the Open Learning Podcast, where in our first episode of The Literature Round Table today, we will be discussing the inspiring world of Poetry. We will be examining the exquisite mind of William Blake (1757-1827), an English poet and painter who is considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. Although Blake was considered insane or ‘mad’ during his lifetime he was appreciated for his eye-opening work after his death, that keeps a record of his thoughts and critiques of the time. In many of Blake’s poems he expresses his anger towards the church and child labour, which is the prominent theme in his 1789 poem “The Chimney Sweeper”. In the poem, Blake highlights the hardships of the Chimney Sweep children using symbolism, imagery and juxtaposition, and critiques how the church was complicit in child labour during the Industrial Revolution.

Blake uses symbolism to represent the Church throughout the poem and to highlight the church being complicit with child labour during the Industrial Revolution, where children were sold and forced to work for little to no money as chimney sweepers. In stanzas three to five, the young chimney sweep is dreaming of a better life and Blake uses the symbols of an “Angel” (13) and “God” (20) saving the child. At the beginning of the dream, there’s imagery of an Angel coming down from above, opening their coffins, and setting them free to be happy and live with God as their father. Here, Blake uses symbolism effectively to display that the children are dreaming of the church saving them and are in desperate need of someone to set them free from their pain and labour. Another effective example of symbolism used by Blake in “The Chimney Sweeper” is the symbol of the “lamb” (6) in stanza one. He uses this symbol because not only does it represent the innocence of helpless Tom, it also links to the church as a Christian religious sacrificial item. This relates to the boys as powerless, as well as Blake once again using a Christian symbol to express his opinion that the church was sacrificing the boys by failing to help them. Through symbolism Blake holds the church accountable for their actions, indicating they need to help the boys, and brings light to the helplessness of the young chimney sweepers.

Imagery is another aesthetic feature William Blake uses effectively to represent the cruelty of child labour and the compliance of the church. Blake uses imagery throughout the poem and explicitly in the dream to emphasize and create an image of the better world that the dream represents in the reader’s mind. In stanza three the line “locked up in coffins of black… an angel who had a bright key… opened the coffins and set them all free” (12-14) creates a clear image in the reader’s mind of a bright white angel coming down from above and setting the children free from their coffins and life of entrapment. This imagery is a powerful element of the poem’s representation of child labour at the time because it creates an image of brightness and happiness that is suddenly contrasted with the sixth stanza lines “and so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark… the morning was cold” (21-23). Blake uses changing imagery from the bright freedom to the dark, cold morning to create a dark, helpless mood and powerfully display the cold harsh reality of the young children’s lives. Imagery plays a crucial role in Blake’s poem, helping to represent the harsh life of child slaves and the reality of their bleak and hopeless lives.

Additionally, Blake uses juxtaposition to reveal the true sadness and melancholy of the lives of the Chimney Sweepers who can only dream of being saved by the church and given better lives. Lines eleven to twenty of the poem are in the form of a dream, and the rest of the poem is explicitly narrating the harsh reality of the young boys’ lives. Blake juxtaposes the two sections to portray this difference. In the thirteenth line of the poem, Tom dreams of “an Angel who had a bright key” (13) and later after he wakes from the dream, states “we rose in the dark” (20). Here he juxtaposes the dream where he uses the descriptor “bright” with the reality where he contrasts the bright with “dark”. Blake uses this effectively to highlight the harsh difference between dreams and reality and furthermore, to reveal the dark and desperate lives of young children sold as child slaves after already devastating childhoods. The juxtaposition displayed in the poem explicitly portrays the difference between the dream and reality of the children’s lives and creates a helpless mood concerning the children.

The poem “The Chimney Sweeper” written by William Blake and published in 1789 spectacles the prominent theme of child labour during the Industrial Revolution and the compliance of the church during the time, who turned a blind eye to the child labour despite claims of opposing it. In the poem Blake highlights the hardships of the children due to this, using symbolism, imagery and juxtaposition and explicitly criticizes the church. I’m Alice Walker, and this has been an episode of The Literature Round Table on the Open Learning Podcast, I hope you enjoyed listening todays and I look forward to speaking to you next week.   

The conceptualization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is essential for business and in good light with the environment in the modern-day world; due to globalization. The dynamic changes in the global market have an impact on the perception of firms towards society. The present work is an attempt to examine CSR practices of Nestle West Africa and how some of the practices have not been in line with the portrayed CSR of the multinational firm and how it has failed in the aspect of social behavior and not taking responsibility for its wrongfulness. Finally, this begs the question, does Nestlé clearly understand and implement CSR or is it only interested in profit-making?

Introduction

With highly technological and progressive societies aiming to be concurrent in all fields, firms are at the basis of such societies that deal with production and which are highly responsible for success. The roots which make the firms successful beyond doubt is knowledge sharing which allows all partners to orchestrate the supply chain in the most efficient manner (Elmuti 2002, Welker, van der Vaart and van Donk 2008). However, it has been noted that lack of knowledge sharing can lead to critical failure in firms and consequently, leading to socio-political and economic damage (Husted, 2002). Lack of knowledge sharing in firms brings the boomerang effect and this coursework intends to study how the activities of Nestlé in West Africa in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies fail to address ethical issues such as knowledge sharing and the failure to take appropriate action after certain dark realities were revealed about its chains of production and supplies. While Nestlé has branches in about 90 countries, Nestlé West Africa is responsible for the management and operations of its activities in West Africa and the manufactures products in nine factories and operates from their main headquarters in Accra, Ghana (Nestlé, 2018). Knowledge is the guiding light for production and can be regarded as the asset fundamentally responsible for organizational success.

Furthermore, this coursework will show how many actions and activities of Nestlé are ironically not in compliance with its so glorified ethical and moral obligations and what definition this company gives to CSR. On one hand, corporate social responsibility is defined as “a business system that enables the production and distribution of wealth for the betterment of its stakeholders through the implementation and integration of ethical systems and sustainable management practices” (Smith, 2011). However, the question we ask ourselves is whether it in compliance with ethics and moral obligations towards the consumers that is, the public in general?

The above can clearly be seen in the publications of Nestlé’s CSR annual reports that are all available on their official website (Nestlé, 2015; 2016). In these reports, Nestlé shows how it is actively involved in a combination of activities linked to the social, environmental and economic spheres, which seem to be in favour of the planet as well as going green and its consumers. However, there is yet another facet to this beautiful picture that has been painted by Nestlé in terms of attractive adverts which tend to be deceptive. The dark reality is the unseen truth of some Nestlé farms in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, West Africa where children under fifteen years of age are used for child labour for production activities, there are also cases of minors being forced to work without pay which is highly unethical and prohibited by the law, and considered cruel on humanitarian grounds and human rights (Isern, 2006). Moreover, it is also against Nestlé’s ideals and principles where they claim that ‘Over 50 million children eat better and exercise better more thanks to Nestlé’s Children’s programmes’ (Nestlé, 2016). But, what about those children who are forced to work?

Corporate Social Responsibility Issues

The CSR stories of child labour are widespread in developing countries including Nestlé’s cocoa farms. It also reaffirms the unethical issues of employing children in its cocoa plantation and factory (Yusnaidi, 2018). Children are always exposed to risk in every phase of the cocoa farm, and its production, which includes injury that can result from machetes during the preparation of land, conservation of the farm and gathering of the cocoa beans; injury from physical strain during the nursing and planting of seedlings and injury that can also result from carrying heavy loads; and exposure to harmful chemicals when handling and using fertilizers and pesticides in the Nestlé farms. Even after Nestlé promised to end its use of child labour years ago, there are still cases in which children younger than 15 years of age continue to work on cocoa farms associated with Nestlé and some of these children are trafficked from neighboring African countries (Lawrence, 2019).

As reported by the Fair Labour Association (FLA), under Nestlé, many findings were appalling in that 56 of their workers were under 18, out of which 27 were 15 (FLA, 2014). The FLA also found that the Divo district of the country nurtures nonpayment of services for some young workers which highlights their position as perpetrators of an old inhumane system where they are in fact deceiving people with fancy commercials while the truth is the hidden stories of children being forced to work as slaves (FLA, 2014).

The 2010 documentary about the other aspect of chocolate that is hidden from the public termed “The Dark Side of Chocolate” brought people’s attention to the purchases of cocoa beans from Ivorian plantations that use child labour in its production, and supply chain. Although these practices are known to Nestlé, child labour remains a reality in Nestlé organizations. The use of child labour for supply chain activities is not a new thing to most of the companies sourcing cocoa for chocolate. Nestlé has made tackling of child labour a top priority for its company campaign but looks easier said than done. On the issue of using child labour and trafficking children, Nestlé clarified that both child labour and trafficking of children would not take place in the cocoa industry by the end of 2008 (Griek, Pennikett & Hougee 2010).

Nonetheless, now in 2019, their practice does not seem to corroborate the pledge to what is happening at one of its cocoa farms near Bonon, Ivory Coast which is part of the two-thirds of the world’s cocoa supply which comes from West Africa (OECD, 2007). Most of the recent children involved are child immigrants from neighboring countries of Burkina Faso and Mali, which is due to the open border agreement by the trio countries of Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso (Whoriskey and Siegel, 2019). Nestlé, however, declined any association with how the production of cocoa goes on as they are only the buyers and they have no direct control over the happenings at cocoa farms regarding child labour practices. This showed that Nestlé did not take responsibility for the accusations of child labour (Griek, Pennikett & Hougee 2010). Moreover, this responsibility on behalf of Nestle continues to remain in a stagnant position as for more than 20 years now, the promises made on ethics concerning child labour continue to be highlighted in the news. This ‘modern-day slavery’ is definitely food for thought and considered to be the Worst Form of Child labour under International Labour Organization Convention 182. (1999).

Nevertheless, the root causes of child labour in West Africa are not limited to poverty only, there is also increased cocoa production due to a large number of new cocoa farms that are established in safe forests over the past five years. An occurrence of child labour is a symptom of poverty itself as can be seen in Ivory Coast and Ghana. This is because families in poor homes are bound to send out their children to work in order for them to survive rather than sending them to school as they have no source of funding thereby reducing the time children stay in school, which indirectly contributes to poverty making economic independence difficult for households as they rely on their children for support. ILO 2019 defines child labour as: ‘The work that deprives kids of their childhood, potential, dignity, which is harmful to their physical and mental development. It refers to work that: is emotionally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school too early, or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with overly long and heavy work.’ In light of this comment, many kids have gone from shirking classes to being failures as a result of the former mentioned point. In the same way, child labour victims (when they combine education with work) put more focus on work than their studies which affect their performance in school making them leave school at an early stage thereby creating a vicious cycle of poverty. The worst part of all is that these children are forced to grow mature before their ages where they miss out on their childhood.

Consequently, this resulted in the loss of consumer confidence from cocoa bought from Ivory Coast in different parts of the world because of the awareness being raised about child labour which exposes the reality about the production of chocolate rather than focusing on the end product. Notwithstanding, child labour issues continue to be a pestilence to Nestlé, the rise in legal commitments, and a decline in consumer expectation. These issues made Nestlé purchase less cocoa from supplies in 2015, which is equal to 30% that was certified to be slave free according to Euromonitor international. (2016).

Recommendations

Conversely, getting rid of child labour, needs lots of cooperation from the farms, private sectors, government, and involves long term efforts of sustainability. Similarly, Nestle’s case study (Lawrence, 2016) also recommended monitoring and taking the initiative of the above objectives from the grassroots levels. The grassroots approach will be preferable in dealing with the issues of child labour (Berlan, 2013), as it will help in contributing, educating and ways of finding new methods in the supply chain so that the use of child labor can be reduced to the strict minimum to allow them to be in school.

To do so, it’s the responsibility of Nestlé to crosscheck, to know all the farms from which they get their cocoa which will help in knowing who is producing it and the ethical mechanism behind the production. Moreover, the Ivory Coast has the reputation of being the provident for work for children especially and this expectation leads a lot of parents to send their kids there in the pursuit of employment probabilities. However, this claim should be re-examined for both parents and children who live in the myth of Ivory Coast as being greener (O’Keefe, 2016).

Furthermore, apart from giving funds to set up the social environment of the society which needs more transparency, training, and education of farmers in their cocoa farms in ways of harvesting, planting, and supply of modern farm equipment will go a long way. Public institutions like the government can also work with the companies and participants to create new means and rules with effective measures as the basis in which accountability can be accessed.

In addition, there should be a key performance indicator or a yardstick in which defiance on labour standards can be reported among the farmers that is their cocoa suppliers to collaborate together to reduce child labour to the strict minimum. For all these reasons, Nestlé must put specific measures in place to checkmate the farms from which its cocoa supplies are sourced. The main topics should address child labour issues ranging from supplying proof of age before job application or acceptance. Likewise, making sure that schools and classes are in good working condition with enough staff and regular attendance by students. (FLA, 2012).

Conclusion

Finally, as much as there is no easy way to exterminating child labour from cocoa farms, it should be the continuous task for the stakeholders involved to swiftly take issues that concern child labor seriously. The use of child labour in West Africa, where up to 1,800,000 children in cocoa farms are involved, should be the core ethical issue at the centre of a big company like Nestlé (O’Keefe, 2016). However, even though we are in a highly technological era where every day new discoveries are being made in the fields of science and technology, the failure to respect human rights remains one of the areas in which humans fail and it is even more shocking when these dark realities are perpetuated by leading industries like Nestle alongside others. Therefore, under such dark realities as the roots and pillars of our modern society, is the world as a utopia where every child is able to live his childhood irrespective of being poor or rich even possible or will our society continue to dissect, divide, exclude, label among others?

Child labor is a critical issue that has been prevalent throughout history and continues to impact millions of children worldwide. Defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, child labor has been a persistent problem in many countries and industries, from agriculture and mining to manufacturing and domestic work.

The historical background of child labor reveals that it has been a common practice for centuries. Today, despite global efforts to eradicate child labor, it remains a widespread issue, with an estimated 152 million children still engaged in child labor worldwide.

Causes of Child Labour

Poverty is considered to be one of the main causes of child labor. Poor families often send their children to work because they do not have enough income or access to decent work. In some cases, children are forced into labor due to ongoing conflicts, where they have lost one or both of their parents and become under the sponsorship of strangers or relatives.

However, there are also other reasons for a child labor; some of them include:

Lack of Education Opportunities

In many developing countries, access to education is limited. As a result, many children miss out on the chance to attend school and receive an education. This lack of education opportunities can force children to work, either to contribute to the family income or to help support themselves. In such cases, children may be denied their right to education, which is critical for their personal and social development.

Cultural Beliefs Traditions

In some societies, there is a deep-rooted cultural belief that children should contribute to the family’s economic well-being. Children are, therefore, seen as a source of labor rather than individuals with their rights and needs. Such cultural beliefs and traditions can perpetuate the cycle of child labor, making it difficult to break free from the practice.

Government Policies Enforcement

Governments play a critical role in addressing child labor, but in some cases, they are part of the problem. Weak or inadequate laws and policies can fail to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

In some cases, laws and regulations may exist, but they are not enforced effectively. This lack of enforcement can lead to the continued use of child labor in industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and domestic work.

Hence, the causes of child labor are complex and interrelated. Addressing the issue requires a multifaceted approach that addresses poverty, education, cultural beliefs, and government policies and enforcement.

Forms of Child Labour

Child labor can take many forms, and it is not limited to any particular sector or industry. Some of the most common forms of child labor include agriculture, domestic, mining, manufacturing, street vending and forced beginning labor.

In agricultural labor children work in fields, farms, and plantations. They are often exposed to hazardous chemicals, long hours, and extreme heat. Children сan also work in private homes as maids, cooks, or assistants. They are often isolated from their families and communities and can be subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

If kids are exploitated in mines, extracting minerals and precious metals. They are exposed to dangerous working conditions, such as cave-ins, explosions, and toxic gases. The same situation is with children, who work in factories, which are producing goods such as clothing, shoes, and electronics.

Frequently, child labor is exploitated in selling goods on the streets or work as beggars. They are at risk of physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Children may be also forced to beg on the streets by organized crime syndicates. They may be kidnapped and forced to work for long hours without pay.

And these forms of child labor are just the most common examples, and there are many other types of child labor that exist. It is essential to recognize that child labor is a form of exploitation and violates children’s rights.

Consequences of Child Labour

The consequences of child labor are numerous and far-reaching, affecting not only the children but also their families and communities.

Children who engage in labor are often exposed to hazardous working conditions, which can lead to physical health problems. These include injuries, respiratory problems, and illnesses caused by exposure to toxic substances. It can also have a profound effect on a child’s psychological and emotional well-being. Children who work often suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression.

Child labor often results in children missing out on education opportunities, which can have long-term consequences for their future prospects. Without an education, children are often trapped in a cycle of poverty, with limited opportunities for personal and professional growth.

After all, child labor can interfere with a child’s social and personal development. Children who work miss out on essential opportunities to interact with their peers and develop social skills. They may also miss out on opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery.

Solutions to Child Labour

Addressing child labor is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Governments, education, poverty reduction, and corporations all have a role to play in addressing this critical issue.

Governments can play a significant role in addressing child labor by enacting and enforcing laws that protect children from exploitation and abuse. They can also provide education and other opportunities that enable children to break free from the cycle of poverty that often leads to child labor.

Education is a critical tool in the fight against child labor. By providing access to education, children are empowered to break free from the cycle of poverty and exploitation. Education campaigns can also raise awareness about the dangers of child labor and promote the value of education in empowering individuals and communities.

Addressing the root causes of poverty and economic inequality is critical in addressing child labor. By providing economic opportunities for families and communities, children can be kept out of labor and provided with the necessary resources to thrive. Economic solutions can include initiatives such as microfinance, job training, and entrepreneurship programs.

Finally, corporations have a significant impact on the global economy, and they can play a critical role in addressing child labor. By implementing responsible labor practices, such as fair wages and safe working conditions, corporations can help to create a world where child labor is no longer necessary.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the consequences of child labor are severe and far-reaching. They affect not only the children involved but also their families and communities. Addressing the issue of child labor requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the root causes of poverty, lack of education, and cultural beliefs while also focusing on the protection of children’s rights and well-being. By working together, we can create a world where every child has access to education and opportunities that enable them to reach their full potential, free from exploitation and abuse.

In many of the developing countries, economic conditions are bad and multinational corporations are known to hire underage children to work under harsh conditions for very low wages. These firms were charged with the unjust exploitation of workers and were accused of having a basic understanding of the global economy. It is important to respect these children and work with local labor laws. They should be hiring adults, who can support their families and be working in decent conditions with a fair wage. These companies claim they are sticking to the strict policies, but reports have shown that there are many cases involving child labor amongst major firms.

Although companies claim to care about human rights and ethics in the workplace, they are not actively working to improve these conditions or even eliminate the practice of child labor altogether. If a consumer is presented with the information that a product is made using child labor, it will factor into their decision-making process, but they will not go to great lengths to further investigate this initial concern. If information like this gets out, then companies may begin investigations into the matter, but what the public doesn’t know will not hurt the company. A report done in 2016 by Amnesty International has shown many cases of child labor and a connection to well-known technology corporations and automotive manufacturers. Reports like this can help companies in becoming more ethical. Through this study, it was uncovered that Apple was using child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to mine for the element cobalt. Cobalt is used in many tech devices to make lithium-ion batteries that help the devices function. Amnesty International reached to Apple to discuss this child labor accusation and received the response that the company is “unable to verify whether their products use cobalt from the DRC” (HBR, Zane, Irwin, and Reczek). Apple claimed that if they find a child worker in their supply chains, they send the underage worker home and keeps paying their wages. They even claimed to finance the child’s education and give them multiple employment opportunities. Even though Apple says they care about human rights, there are still reports of child labor. Apple was the first company to publish the cobalt mining companies and was helping Amnesty with the Huayou Cobalt Company to address the child labor issue and potentially help with eliminating the problem. Another multinational corporation that has been accused of child labor is the technology company, Microsoft. They are connected to the cobalt mining situation as well. In 2016, a news report done by Times to Recharge made a ranking on the industry giants and it showed that Microsoft had taken no action to correct this situation. They haven’t disclosed any details of how they attain their cobalt, which shows that Microsoft is still performing in an unethical way and is not in compliance with the basic international standards. Other companies such as Dell and HP have followed in Apple’s footsteps and started an investigation as well. They added high policies in regard to human rights in their cobalt supply chains. While some companies are trying to right the wrong, others are still hiding these unethical behaviors.

As more companies are being exposed and making statements on the situations, many companies are looking to make internal investigations into their supply chains before they are outed of any wrongdoings. Although some companies are reminded of these unethical practices, it isn’t sufficient enough for them to take action and right the wrong. If a company publicly commits to making a change, they have the guilt of the public on their backs if they don’t agree to finish what they started. Companies need to take ethical action and quickly resolve the issues presented when they are first notified. Some companies have been taking important measures to correct the unethical behavior they are portraying. For example, in the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Intel announced that they would use only conflict-free material for the processors that they manufacture. In the following Consumer Electronics Shows, this issue has been a common topic for companies to better their ethical practices. According to the International Labor Organization, it is acceptable for children aged 13 to 15 to work in areas that don’t have a negative impact on their education or their health. This could farms, cotton fields, or even gardens, in which they could be helping their parents. Working in mines, at low depths and dangerous conditions is bad for anyone, regardless of age. But putting children in these situations if very unethical. Yes, multinational corporations make huge profits on this material, but this is at the expense of a child’s life.

Multinational corporations should be able to determine and implement change. Some companies do want to make a change to their supply chain, but they need long-term plans and goals to ensure the processes are being done ethically. Companies such as Apple that have been implicated by the Amnesty International research study have shown that they want to make a difference in the way they get their materials. They want to be a more ethically driven company. A solution that I think is viable is definitely bringing media attention to the issue. When the media is involved, they publicize the issues, putting the multinational corporation in the spotlight. If they are put on the spot, they will try to correct the wrongdoings that they have done. Sometimes, it is best to fix the problem presented internally, which is why the media should be the last option to correct the issue. A recommendation proposed is that companies need to first recognize the issue of having child workers and the unethical behavior that is presented. These corporations would likely want to avoid these issues and clear the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. The best way to do this would be to make a statement of policy and have a strong determination to correct the problems. Internally, the company knows what is happening, but when the issue was brought up by a third party, they need to step up and quickly resolve it. This recommendation is better than mere ignorance of the situation occurring in their supply chains. Ignoring the situation presented at hand will more hurt the multinational corporation rather than help it.

Child labor is a major issue that is shown amongst many multinational corporations. Although some companies are listed as those who do this unethical practice, there could be many more that just haven’t been uncovered. The countries where this practice exists have poor economic conditions and these firms are taking advantage of it by making these children suffer. They are not looking out for these human beings, rather they are trying to make profits at the expense of the child’s life.  

The role of sustainability within the fashion industry Seo Won (Issy) Choi Clothing has surpassed its original purpose of simple protection or cover-up; it is now a major means of self-expression and the practice of individuality (Carter, 2017). Today, fast fashion is at the heart of the fashion industry, where mass-market producers manufacture mainstream clothing targeted at a wide audience. As a result of high demand for such clothing, there are tight time constraints for fast fashion retailers; thus, they have exported their production process to developing countries, as it is faster and more affordable. This brings about strong competition between developing countries to win contracts with fast fashion retailers.

The problem with clothing generation in developing countries for such markets is that sacrifices are made, the most significant being the violation of the human rights of workers. Today, the topic of sustainability within the clothing industry is becoming increasingly prevalent, with growing concerns regarding the protection of our environment and human resource (Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2016). Several designers are in support of the eco-fashion movement, French designer Marine Serre being one. Serre’s AW18 show in Paris was composed of 26 looks made of “upcycled vintage scarves” (Pithers, 2019), where she manipulated the material of second-hand scarves to create new garments. These designs, manifesting a “streetwise glamour”, showed the potential of sustainable garments to exist in the slow fashion industry. “I think it should just be normal that we have to recycle — that’s the way I want to engage people,’ Serre claims (Pithers, 2019). Regardless of such effort being made to bring sustainable clothing into fashion, there comes a number of problems implicated within the particular topic.

This essay will be exploring and analysing the societal impacts of sustainable fashion in particular, focusing on child labour, forced overtime and the health and safety of factory workers. It will also bring to light possible solutions to such matters. According to Thomas (2018), mass manufacture came about during the time of the Industrial Revolution, catalysing the termination of “craft and artisan based economies”. This triggered an upsurge in migration, which carries on in the twenty-first century in newly industrialised countries as “manufacture and communication become faster”. (Thomas, 2018). Production, as “part of the supply chain”, has an ongoing labour history within the fashion industry that includes the “exploitation of children, women and men.” (Thomas, 2018). The competition between factories generating clothing for fast fashion companies is intense in order to meet tight deadlines; this leads factory owners to ignore regulations and the voluntary codes of conduct set by fast fashion companies. A consequence in the rise of fast fashion and mass clothing production is child labour; millions of children around the world – especially in developing countries ¬– are being employed to work in the clothing industry. The lack of child protection laws allows factory owners to easily employ young children to carry out clothing production.

A recurring theme in such child employment, however, is substantial damage to health, overtime, and a lack of proper education. Children working in factories fulfil excessive overtime hours day after day under “poor work safety” (Business-humanrights.org, 2019) . The lack of regulation follow-up in factories means that the health and safety of children is not guaranteed, and that they miss out on the opportunity of a proper education as a result of overtime hours. As this abuse is hidden to the end-user, it is often passed undiscovered, and so the fundamental human rights of children working in factories continues to be violated. It is a quotidian process for children in factories to generate clothing under harsh working conditions, fulfilling overtime working hours with no protection and with little or no income. This is partly because the priority of many families living under the poverty line is feeding the family, therefore children act solely as extra breadwinners for the family. These children are exposed to harsh environments from a young age, and they fulfil work that is hazardous for even adults. An example of a country where child labour is present is Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet republic.

The nation is notorious for its human rights issues relating to fashion and sustainable fashion, especially the use of child labour in cotton harvesting and clothing production. Each year, over a million Uzbek citizens are forced to grow and harvest cotton under threats of penalty, and a large quantity of the employed workers are children, aged five or above. (Hindman, 2009) These children are often exposed to “unknown chemicals in the field, unsanitary housing, and lack of safe drinking water” (Cotton campaign, 2019) ; thus, such labour provides life-threatening factors to children. An exploitative method of employing children in cotton harvesting factories deprives them from solid and concrete education. Despite radical reforms that were promised by the current Uzbek president, the report which monitored the 2017 cotton harvest found evidence that this state-sponsored forced labour still continues. Such maltreatment of factory workers in the clothing production process leads to multiple repercussions that are evident in society. As shown in the film “The True Cost” (2015), the lives of factory workers are being put at stake due to consumer demands and for the profit of the fast fashion industry.

Factory workers in 3rd world countries experience physical and verbal abuse on a daily basis, and there is no compensation provided for the extensive damage done to the lives these workers (The True Cost, 2015) . Concerning children in particular, they are left vulnerable by working overtime hours in factories from such a young age. Working at factories is straining both mentally and physically, and it can interfere with the education, the personal development and even the healthy growth of children. This, subsequently, leads to the presence of a vicious circle, creating generations of children that have not had good education. Several companies and organisations have set in place proposals with the hope of solving critical working conditions in Uzbekistan and elsewhere around the world. Regarding the situation in Uzbekistan, more than 60 of the world’s leading clothing labels such as Burberry, Levi Strauss, Zara and American Eagle are boycotting today in an attempt to force the government to stop child labour (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 2012).

This ongoing system in Uzbekistan has been in place for more than 80 years, and because it has become such an everyday part of their community, citizens have become numbed to its destructiveness. Boycotting brands are aware of this – that it is difficult to eliminate such a long tradition – however, it is hoped that continued refusal to source from Uzbekistan will bring gradual change to the current situation. Furthermore, in 2008, the Uzbek government was pressured into signing the conventions of the International Labour Organization, on “Minimum Age of Employment” and “the Worst Forms of Child Labour” (Uzbekgermanforum.org, 2019). hereby promising the international community that child labour in cotton production would cease. Despite signing the Conventions of the ILO, journalists and human rights activists continue to report the repeated use of forced child labour during the cotton harvest in 2009. Uzbekistan does not cease to exploit its people; forced child labour remains widespread. Indeed, according to many reports, including those resulting from monitoring carried out by UGF members in 2009, this practice continues to persist and seems to have grown harsher and more exploitative than in previous years. The Uzbek Government is showing no signs of reforming the current system.

Forced labour in the cotton industry of Uzbekistan is a serious problem that violates all fundamental human rights. Forced child labour is a form of modern slavery, which cannot be an existing issue in today’s world. Solution proposed by companies aimed to resolve the situation in Uzbekistan have not proven to be very effective, as child labour continues in rural and urban economies today. This proves that we are in need of a more sophisticated and radical solution; all workers deserve to work under decent working environments with no overtime and salary above the minimum wage to provide healthy wellbeing for all. Children should receive a proper, quality education for equal opportunities in the future. Previously, there have been examples set by pioneers that demonstrate efforts to improve the treatment of workers in the industry; according to Braungart and McDonough (2009), in the year 1914, “when the prevailing salary for factory workers was $2.34 a day, [Ford] hiked it to $5.” Ford also lowered working hours from nine to eight, “raising the bar for the entire world of industry.” Despite such effort made by individuals, the situation remains atrocious in most instances. As the aim of sustainable fashion is to build a society where its citizens can support the ecosystem for which they are responsible for in all aspects, the social implications of the current situation should be treated with more attention and urgency. In all, the high demand for fashionable clothing today has led to the emergence of mass manufacture and in response, sustainable fashion, but what is being done to protect and prolong this system? The effect that mass clothing production is having on social terms is essentially negative, with a huge strain being put on the human rights of workers, children in particular. “A totally beautiful product will have been made by people who are living a decent life and are treated fairly”, claims Datschefski (2001), but this is not the case today in the manufacturing process of fast fashion.

The aim of “sustainable fashion” is to create a safe and healthy environment in all aspects, and the social requirements of sustainable fashion is to “check working conditions all the way up the supply chain” (Datschefski, 2001). Human capital is our most important resource; with it, resource can be transformed into productivity. It should therefore appear essential to protect it at all costs. As mentioned in Forum for the Future (2019), “for the fashion industry to be sustainable economically, it must be sustainable socially”. Therefore, the fashion industry should use its “collective power” to work towards building the kind of “positive world we’d like to see in 2025.” (Forum for the Future, 2019) 

I like any beginner to makeup know the struggles that come with the precisions of that cat eye, getting that perfect gradient of eyeshadow or even putting the basic mascara on without getting it in my eye. 2019, however, offers a new and simpler trend. The dab-on dewy, glowing makeup look or as some might call it the natural no-makeup makeup look. The list goes on. So, what’s the secret behind the “I just got of the shower” light reflecting foundation or Kylie Jenner’s new eye shadow palette. The answer is, Mica, a well sought-after mineral that gives products their shimmer and shine. India holds around 60% of the global mica production (Francesca Willow, 2018). But there’s a sad story behind the shimmer and the shine of our makeup that’s been kept quiet for long enough. I want you all to imagine that you are an 11-year-old child working tirelessly for hours on end in a hot, claustrophobic, windowless tunnel, not knowing when the next debris will give way, crushing and killing you. Or whether it’ll be the other child working next to you. All you know is that you have no other option, because you, you are the only source of income for your family. Earning those few cents could mean the difference between food or starvation. This life, that’s a reality for many children in India. In fact, it’s the reality of an 11 -year-old girl named Pooja Bhurla, who has been a victim of child labour since she was only eight. Child Labour is an issue that is not only a Third World problem. It’s not just India’s problem.

Child Labour is a violation of the basic human rights and therefore is a problem that affects us all (stop child labour school is the best place to work, 2019). As Diane Von Furstenberg once said, “when you have a voice, you have an obligation to use that voice to empower others”. I too also believe this, and that Is why I am standing here In front of you now, because we need your help. These children need your help. It’s stories like Puja’s that are invisible in a sad and terrifying way. Their stories are not untold stories they’re just not being told. It’s as if they’re invisible in plain sight. Every single time you touch your makeup products you are essentially touching what they have touched, but these victims remain invisible to us. When we think of youth we think of playing outside with friends, kicking soccer balls or staying up late to finish the maths homework you forgot because you were busy playing with your friends.

When most consumers buying a new electric product or vehicle, they often do not reflect on where the parts and products come from or how they have been manufactured. They are probably not aware of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) working in mines risking their lives to find cobalt for companies to use to produce lithium-ion batteries for their electric products. A lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable battery, which contains cobalt minerals (Wang, 2016. p108) that are mostly used in portable electronics and electrical vehicles for its high specific energy, low costs and long-life cycle (Helbig, 2018). According to Tsurukawa, Prakash & Manhart, lithium-ion batteries contain an average of 65g cobalt, and it is associated with 10 minutes of labour, whereas 3 min is child labour in artisanal miners in DR Congo (2011). Cobalt exists in mines located in DR Congo, one of the world’s most poor and underdeveloped countries. It is common that children under 15 years old are working in cobalt mines for long hours and under poor health and safety regulations. The rising demand for electric vehicles and portable electronics has resulted in an increased demand for lithium and cobalt to produce lithium-ion batteries (Church & Crawford, 2018). This report will focus on the ethical issues with companies using cobalt to produce lithium-ion batteries, and what actions they and their suppliers have taken to eliminate their use of cobalt from DR Congo.

The demand for cobalt has tripled between 2000-2010 due to its importance in producing lithium-ion battery, and the increased demand has resulted in an increased number of artisanal mines in DR Congo (Tsurukawa, Prakash & Manhart, 2011). There are about 80% artisanal mines in DR Congo with informal activities taking advantage of the people who are working under minimal safety and healthy work conditions. Artisanal mining often uses techniques that are both capital and technology poor and it causes environmental damages and health and safety issue for the workers (Maria SJ & Taka, 2012). There are reported to be tens of thousands of young people, including children, working in these mines, digging to find cobalt and other minerals. The working conditions are often dangerous and poorly regulated (Banza, Nawrot, Haufroid, Decree, Putter, Smolders, Kabyla, Luboya, Ilunga, Mutombo & Nemery, 2009). Workers in cobalt mines exposed to the toxic pure cobalt can develop threatening diseases such as asthma, cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle that can cause heart failure, skin rash and severe lung diseases (Lauwerys & Lison, 1994. p3). Cobalt is one of the most produced mineral resources found in DR Congo’s province Katanga, which is a world market supplier of the strategic mineral (Kalenga, 2013). A study made of U.S. Geological Survey in 2004 shows that DR Congo stood for 21.3% of the world production and 48.6% of the cobalt reserves in the world (Taylor, Schultz, Doebrich, Orris, Denning & Kirschbaum, 2009). DR Congo’s high cobalt reserves lead to a geopolitical supply risk of the minerals, because of its high demand for producing lithium-ion batteries. Cobalt has been identified as a critical resource since the concern regarding its supply risk and economic importance increasing. As DR Congo is a world-leading distributor of cobalt supply it has resulting in rising prices and increased actions against finding solutions to reduce the use of cobalt or find a substitute (Habib, Hamelin & Wenzel, 2016). The increased demand for lithium-ion batteries is a result of the growing interest in electric vehicles in the last decade. Furthermore, cobalt has a very high supply risk as they are subject to political scrutiny due to the consideration that cobalt is a conflict mineral exported from a conflict region and therefore an ethical questioning (Helbig, Bradshaw, Wietschel, Thornez & Tuma, 2018).

Child labour in artisanal miners in DR Congo is common, about 28% of the miners are children under 15 years of age and some are as young as 6 years old. Working in artisanal mining are regarded as one of the worst forms of child labour. The children are used for washing ores, transporting minerals, and digging for cobalt, some are hired to dig in smaller places in the mines where the adults cannot get through. They are working under poor work conditions with minimal wages, long working hours work, hazardous working spaces underground and they are exposed to dangerous substances, for as little as 1 US$ a day (Tsurukawa, Prakash & Manhart, 2011. p31-32). Artisanal mines support about 20% of the population in DR Congo, and about 50% of the labour force are women. Due to DR Congo’s history and culture, women are still suffering from sexual and gender violence, and in artisanal mine communities, the risk for the women doubles. Women who work in the mines are often subject to gender discrimination, such as limited presence in a higher level of the production chain, they get less paid than the men, and in some mines, women are not even allowed to enter due to fear of them stealing minerals (Hayes & Perks, 2012). Prostitution in artisanal miners is common and involves women and sometimes children as young as 12 years old (Tsurukawa, Prakash & Manhart, 2011). The lack of childcare options in DR Congo forces women to bring their children to the mines, and this might affect children’s wellbeing and health due to them being exposed to dangerous substances from minerals, dirty water and unsanitary conditions. It might also affect their future if they cannot go to school and get an education, they might be forced to remain working in the mines for the rest of their lives (Hayes & Perks, 2012). In Dr Congo children can play an important role in bringing income to their family, due to poverty and the governments’ low investment in education. Even though working in mines deems to be one of the worst forms of child labour, a lot of children chooses to work there on own will. A research made in 2007 shows that in some cases, school-going children choose to work in the mines on their free time to help with the family economy (Andre, 2014). Local authorities and miner’s associations in DR Congo has formally forbidden children to access the mines. However, the abolishment of child labour in artisanal mines has had a little effect, as the income for the traders decreases when they are losing important workforce. (Tsurukawa, Prakash & Manhart, 2011. p33).

Analysis of ethical issues In recent years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) of big corporations has received more attention regarding developing countries, this because they can have a potential helping impact on the local situations and help eliminate the problem the countries are confronted with. When it comes to operating in developing countries, corporations need to consider the CSR regarding the economic and social aspects. These considerations include economic impacts such as transportation, social consequences for the employees working hours, working rights etc, and how to demonstrate good practice, such as consideration for human rights and ethical behaviour (Kolk and Lenfant, 2010). Tesla Inc is an automotive company specialising in manufacture rechargeable electric vehicles, and the company need cobalt to produce lithium-ion batteries for their vehicles. To assure their customers that they are not supporting the work conditions, human right violations and child labour in DR Congo Tesla has developed a Supplier Code of Conduct. According to Tesla’s Supplier Code of Conduct, they expect their suppliers to operate in a responsible manner regarding their conducts policy and within their principles about conflict minerals, child labour or slaves. Which means that Tesla expects their suppliers to use reasonable efforts to make sure their supplies are conflict-free, and they will not accept any products or services in their manufactures from suppliers that support this cause or benefits armed groups in DR Congo (Tesla, Inc n.d). One of Tesla’s main suppliers of lithium-ion batteries is Panasonic, who are responsible for developing new and more efficient batteries (Karamitsios, 2013). In 2016 The Global Procurement Company for Panasonic issued CSR requirements in order to make sure their suppliers know they are following international standards and standard approaches within the industry. Their procurement guidelines establish legal and regulatory international requirements regarding labour rights, regarding child labour and human rights, workplace safety and health, environment standards, ethics regarding responsible mineral procurement and social contribution. Panasonic continuously works to improve its procurement regarding responsible minerals. They recognise that the procurement of cobalt from conflict areas carries a risk of funding organisations involving illegal, unethical activities, child labour and human rights violations, which is a huge social concern. They have therefore improved their CSR through promoting responsible procurement of cobalt in the global supply chain. To build a fair supply chain of minerals, they are working along with a range of stakeholders, countries, companies and organisations to ensure their minerals are not associated with illegal or unethical behaviour. Panasonic is communicating their policies with all of its suppliers and partners to meet their determined social responsibilities to promote responsible minerals procurement of cobalt through the supply chain. Panasonic is also working towards developing a conflict-free system of upstream mining companies and implementing conflict-free certifications from mining companies, and they require their suppliers to provide relevant information throughout the supply chain. In 2018, Panasonic examines around 1,700 of their suppliers on conflict materials and had responses from 99% of them. After this event, they conducted a risk analysis and requested a further investigation from suppliers according to risk (Panasonic, 2018). In order for Tesla to decrease the ethical issue regarding geopolitical supply risk, recycling of cobalt can help lower the supply risk in the future (Habib, Hamelin & Wenzel, 2016. p854). Even though the world supply of cobalt is not considered to be of critical shortage, world leading countries are working to prevent future cobalt shortage, as the mineral is of importance to some industries. To prevent this shortage, countries across the world have implemented a recycling strategy, and in 2006 an estimation of 10,000 tons of cobalt was recycled (Tsurukawa, Prakash & Manhart, 2011. p8). Tesla Inc is working with Umicore, a factory plant focusing on recycling batteries into reusable materials. Cobalt is the material with the highest value in Tesla’s lithium-ion batteries, and Umicore’s process is using the cobalt from recycled lithium-ion batteries, makes LCO (lithium, cobalt oxide) batteries and sells them to other battery manufacturers. In an environmental aspect, so far this process has been profitable for Tesla and it has also provided them with a high margin of return (Kelty, 2011).