The Conversation

Survivors Tell of Loss of Identity, Family Rejection for Refusing Forced Marriage

In the last four years since England and Wales changed their laws on forced marriage there have been two landmark convictions of [...]

U.K. set to become even more hostile for people fleeing danger

After recent deaths in the English Channel, the U.K.’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has announced a five-point plan to overhaul the [...]

African Virgin Girls Taken as “Wives of Gods”

Trokosi is traditional belief system in West Africa wherein virgin girls — some as young as six — are taken to shrines, where they are [...]

How business, government, and consumers can act to end modern slavery

Modern slavery is ubiquitous. From the clothes we wear and the food we eat to the cars we drive and the technology we use, many of the [...]

How the UK Can Learn from Brazil and India

Work is seen as a fundamental means to getting out of poverty. Yet for many in the UK, despite the employment rate remaining high, [...]

Four years on, has Australia’s Modern Slavery Act been effective?

An independent review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act has concluded that the legislation is failing to have a significant [...]

How We Avoid Feeling Guilty for Slave-Made Goods

We consume or use products that are likely tainted by modern slavery every day. From gadgets to clothing, fish, cocoa, and cane sugar, [...]

Modern slavery survivors in Australia face multiple barriers to housing

The Australian federal government recently passed a funding boost directed at modern slavery survivors to help them access services [...]

A Female System of Abuse: Haiti’s Children in Domestic Slavery

Hundreds of thousands of Haitian children are trapped in modern slavery, and women are playing a key role in perpetuating the abuse. [...]

Flawed visa system locks survivors out of services

The Australian government recently introduced new measures aimed at protecting migrant workers at risk of exploitation. But new [...]

A Tragic Paradox: When Trafficking Victims Become Perpetrators

Watcharaporn Nantahkhum’s story became known to Australia not because she was a victim of human trafficking. Rather, in 2012 she [...]

Risk of forced labor in Lululemon’s supply chain

The Canadian government recently joined the ranks of California, the United Kingdom and Australia in passing laws designed to eliminate [...]

Child Trafficking and the Search for Football’s Next Star

Some 15,000 children have been trafficked to Europe under the false premise that they can become football’s next superstar. [...]

Exploitative practices are a common thread in the garment industry

Major fashion brands, including Barbour and PVH (owner of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger), are set to pay over £400,000 in [...]

Modern slavery lurks behind South Africa’s spaza shops

Residents of South Africa’s townships have long relied on informal retailers known as spaza shops for food, household items, and [...]

20 years later, but trafficking persists despite Morecambe Bay tragedy

20 years ago, on the beach of Morecambe Bay, 23 migrant workers illegally smuggled into the U.K. drowned while picking cockles on the [...]

Australian repository of modern slavery statements an important step forward

This week, the Australian government took a significant step forward in its fight against modern slavery by publishing the first batch [...]

Australia's bold new step to combat migrant worker exploitation

Australia takes new step to combat migrant worker exploitation

Workplace exploitation of migrant workers is a longstanding issue in Australia, exacerbated by a fear of immigration repercussions that [...]

Clearing up sex trafficking myths

There are a lot of dangerous misconceptions about sex trafficking that muddy the waters when it comes to prevention and protection [...]

The words "all you needs is less" in a frame on top of a pile of clothing and shoes depicting over consumption in fast fashion.

How fashion brands sell values to cover up labor and environmental abuses

When our favorite fashion brand uses language such as “ethically sourced” and “sustainable” in their ads, we want to believe they [...]

Women and girls at perilous risk of slavery under the Taliban

Fear and panic have gripped Afghanistan’s population as the Taliban have assumed power, capturing the countries’ cities over the past [...]

Canadian Supreme Court case on sex work reignites debate on decriminalization

The case, R v. Kloubakov, is set to be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in November 2024. The case involves two men from Calgary [...]

Better farming practices could help end cocoa slavery

Writing for The Conversation, researcher Michael Odijie posits that slavery in cocoa harvesting is a centuries-long problem. He notes [...]

A tree half withered on dry, cracked soil, and the other half green and flourishing, representing climate change in Africa.

How climate change exacerbates modern slavery in Africa

Modern slavery affects over 50 million people worldwide. The situation is severe in Africa, where 3.8 million people are working in [...]