This blog is by Aryan Rana, Student, RGNUL
THEME: Employment Law, Labour Law, and Service Law
Sub Theme: The rise in Fast Fashion has led to an increase in child labour
Introduction
The International Labour Organisation defines child labour as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical to physical and mental development”. In the coming-of-age capitalistic society where fashion trends change frequently, the demand for cheap labor increases which leads to a rise in child labour practices. Fast Fashion is a business model that focuses on rapid production of inexpensive clothing in response to current trends typically using inexpensive labor and subpar materials.It is characterised by rapid production, high volume, and fast turnover of low-quality clothes often influenced by trend replication and social media influence. The concept of fast fashion demands cheap and effective labour and low-cost manufacturing which gives advancement to exploitative labor practices. An estimated 170 million children worldwide, aged five to seventeen, are affected by child labor; this is a trend that is constantly expanding and does not take age into account. Many consumerist sectors, like the fashion industry, enforce child labor by making children work fourteen to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, to meet strict deadlines. Popular brands like H&M and Forever 21 features 400 styles per week which requires production at a rapid speed making them outsource the supplies from unregulated firms that employ child labour. If we look at the practicality of having child labour, it benefits the industry at large because children are vulnerable and have small hands, making them a perfect fit to be employed in the apparel industry. Historically, children were employed in cotton fields and mines because of their small bodies and hands, ultimately exploiting them into shackles of child labour. With the lack of education and poor child welfare laws, the fast fashion industry makes it difficult for individuals to pursue other possibilities or leave the sector, thus entrenching the cycle of poverty and abuse.
Poverty and Fast Fashion
To meet the demands of the people of a liberalised economy which is a big consumer base of fast fashion, these big fast fashion hubs employ child labour in developing countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia and even India because of their cheap availability and dire conditions. Fast fashion companies like Shein outsource manufacturing of clothes from supplier firms which usually operate without government regulations allowing them to take benefit of the vulnerability of these child labour. These poor children to help their parents meet their daily needs have no option but to engage in such malpractices. This exploitation is not limited to just fast fashion, big luxury brands like zara and H&M are also accused of child labour in third-world countries and since the legislation protecting the same is absent, it fails to deliver justice to the vulnerable. The livelihood and community of Bangladeshi fishermen, whose livelihood is endangered by an increase in natural disasters, are among the people disproportionately affected by these environmental challenges.With the advent of time although legislation protecting child labour was enforced reality remains the same, because of the vicious cycle of poverty, these small children don’t have an option but to engage in such labour.
Effect of Consumerism
The fashion industry is already very infamous when it comes to meeting the goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) leading to serious environmental consequences. Environmentalists all over the globe criticise the consumerist nature of the fashion industry. Under the garb of Neo- colonial globalisation these fast fashion industries outsource output to murky supply chains, which makes it challenging to keep an eye out for and respond to violations of labor and the environment. Because of this lack of accountability and transparency, the exploitation of underprivileged labor and communities continues to prevail. Now human rights activists advocate for the elimination of child labour in the fashion industry. Due to the industry's high demand, it keeps 11% of child labour from enrolling themselves in schools and pursue other fields because of overtime work, low wages and poor working conditions. The fast fashion industry's tendency to use child labor and exploitation is made worse by the drive to manufacture vast quantities of goods at low cost and to keep up with rapidly evolving fashion trends.
Accountability and Action
According to a 2022 report by Statista, the global fashion industry was estimated to be worth $1.53 trillion and vital stakeholders like governments, NGOs and businesses across the globe including the fast fashion industry have an important role in eliminating the evil practice of child labour by inculcating policies which comply with human rights standards and also transparency in the management ultimately promoting fair labour practices. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of fast fashion, the government must enact laws and policies that support ethical and sustainable business practices in the fashion sector. Non-Governmental organisation have a role to keep a check on malpractices of the big corporates and also to educate consumers and create awareness about the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion through public campaigns and research. It is also the responsibility of the consumers of the fast fashion industry to choose companies that are sustainable and promote ethical production practices. It is also the responsibilities of the international community to establish global standards for sustainable and ethical fashion and implement stricter policies to ensure that fashion brands are held responsible for their social and environmental actions. Popular fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M and urban outfitters under the corporate social responsibility need to make conscious efforts to inculcate ethical production practices and should also create sustainable employmentment avenues that help uplift communities out of poverty. Lastly, consumers should also buy from Fairtrade brands that promote ethically made apparel.
Conclusion
The fast fashion industry's use of child labor not only violates children's rights but also contributes to social injustice, environmental pollution, and poverty. Businesses, customers, and legislators must work together to address these problems to guarantee moral and sustainable supply chain procedures for clothing. Fast fashion is a deeply gendered issue because it is based on the systemic oppression and discrimination of its mostly female workforce. The rise in child labor in the fashion industry, excessive consumption and waste, contribution to social and economic inequality, and detrimental effects on mental health and well-being are the main implications of consumerism. In order to curb the detrimental effect of fast fashion the government should provide incentives for fashion companies to adopt sustainable practices such as tax breaks or subsidies for sustainable manufacturing processes. There should be transparency in the supply chain as it requires the companies to disclose their labor practises to help consumers make informed choices. The fashion industry should adopt aggressive Codes of Conduct (CoC) which can make a proactive commitment on the part of the organizations to stop child labor and slavery in their supply chains, and that can make significant investments in audits to guarantee transparency and compliance. The blog also emphasizes the critical role that customers can play by being more aware of what they buy and by refusing to support businesses that use child labor, ultimately putting pressure on mainstream brands to make their supply chain ethical.
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