One fan posted a question today and it made me think......I need to write about this! It's something I am fiercely passionate about.
This fan stated that she likes to dress her children well however a family member thinks she wastes her money buying boutique labels when she could buy trackies from chain stores for $5.00.
When you buy a $5.00 t-shirt or $8.00 pair of jeans, ask yourself where did it come from, who made it, what pay did they receive, did they work a standard week and under fair conditions? Could you really make a t-shirt for $5.00 and tick all the fair and ethical work conditions boxes?
Child labour in China and many other parts of the developing world is a huge problem and reports show that it's increasing at a rapid rate. It's estimated that of the 10 million children out of school, 5 million of them are working in factories. Many of these children are forced to work over 10 hours a day and they are as young as 5 years old! Can you imagine your own 5 year old picking cotton or packing boxes for over 5 hours a day with very little pay and virtually no breaks? The conditions they work in are horrid and beyond belief. Child kidnappings are on the increase and it's believed they are being sold to factories as slave labour.
My challenge to ALL the major chain stores is to show consumers that they don't support child labour and that they do manufacture under fair and ethical working conditions.
Next time you go to buy the bargain pair of coloured jeans or cute tee, think about how much it cost to make it, who made it, where was it made and was it made under ethical conditions for fair pay. My theory is, if I wouldn't let my daughter work under those conditions, why would I pay for someone else's child to do it.
Labels we trust are ethically made under fair working conditions include Oishi-m, Baobab, Skeanie, Uh-Oh! Sleepwear, Gaia Organic Cotton and Silkberry Baby. Let us know your favourites.
