Contract Substitution: A Means of Enslaving the Most Vulnerable
From hastily checking off the terms and conditions agreement on Itunes to eagerly signing our names on Amazon Prime membership renewals, many of us live in a world in which impatience is our greatest discomfort. Many of us have the freedom to be inattentive when signing our names to binding agreements. However, not everyone can afford to be so trusting with the agreements they sign. For some people, signing their name on a document could be the very thing leading them into their bondage or “voluntary” servitude.
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College Students: How Human Trafficking Can Affect You
Human trafficking is known as an industry that afflicts the most destitute, underdeveloped areas of the world. Movies like the Taken series perpetrate the dangerous stereotype that human trafficking only affects individuals where governments are weak and law enforcement is lackluster. However, human trafficking in America is not limited to run-down brothels or fueled by creepy, middle-aged men as depicted by Hollywood. Human trafficking is proliferated at the music festivals we readily attend and is disguised behind the facade of tinder dating profiles we eagerly swipe past. Traffickers can literally be anyone--and our indifference towards recognizing their presence in our society allows them to continually deceive us.
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Thrifting as a Form of Ethical Fashion
When you hear the words “thrift store,” the next thing to pop into your head might be associations like, “eclectic,” “old,” “cheap,” “grandma’s closet,” or maybe something not as nice. Probably the last thing you think of is the word “ethical.”
“Ethical?” You’re thinking. “I mean, I understand environmentally friendly, and good for the wallet, but ethical?”
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A Woman Who Does: Emily from A Day Pack
It often seems like we can’t escape the horrors of human trafficking when everything from food, clothing, bricks, wood and even coffee can be tainted by unethical labor practices. This reality can make the fight to end human trafficking feel worthless, but here to humbly prove you wrong is Emily Pack, cofounder of the blog A Day Pack and an inspiring woman who knows how to follow her heart for justice.
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A Look Inside the Sewing Center
The peaks of the Himalayas blanketed in clouds welcomed us to Nepal. The journey here was longer than we planned, with a canceled flight that resulted in an unexpected night in Chengdu, China and a Vespa injury that left Blythe a bit beaten and bruised (Thank goodness for no broken bones!). The first 24 hours loosened our preconceived ideas of how the trip would go, as we carted Blythe in a wheelchair through the Chengdu airport to figure out how to rebook our canceled flight to Kathmandu. All we could do was laugh in our sleep-deprived hysteria as we examined our interesting circumstances. Giving up control is just one of the many disguised blessings that travel brings, isn’t it?
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H2 Work Visas: A Hidden Gate to Labor Trafficking in the U.S
When we think about human trafficking, we often think of sex trafficking - and for the right reasons, of course, especially when millions of people are trafficked each year and with many of its cases being related to sex crimes and slavery. But there is another side to human trafficking, one that is less visible: labor trafficking - a systematic exploitation of foreign workers who come to the United States under the nation’s H2 work visas. H2 work visas are also known as the guest workers program, permitting employers to hire foreign workers to come to the United States temporarily for work. The H2 guest workers program is opening doors to labor trafficking, and too many victims are falling through the cracks of the United States’ guest worker system. Since 2007, Polaris has identified 30,000 human trafficking and labor exploitation cases in the United States. In approximately 18% of these cases, Polaris was able to determine that at least one victim of the situation had a temporary work visa.
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A View on Child Marriage
Take a moment to imagine yourself as a young thirteen year old girl, dreaming of your future and independence, only to come home and have your parents tell you that your wedding will be taking place the next day. All your hopes of growing up to be an independent individual shattered in that very moment. To many young girls in developing countries, these aren’t scenarios being played in their minds, it’s their true life story. Child marriage, also known as “forced marriage” or “early marriage”, is defined as marriage before the age of 18 and is a harmful traditional practice that deprives girls of their dignity and human rights
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Engaging Companies in the Fight to End Human Trafficking
In February 2018, Minneapolis, Minnesota, hosted one of the nation’s largest events - the Super Bowl. It took place in Downtown Minneapolis at the U.S. Bank Stadium, right next to the public hospital where I work. Every day, during my commute to and from work, I witnessed the construction, outdoor preparations, and festivities. But alongside the strategic planning and whirlwind of people and visitors was the constant need to be aware of my surroundings.
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We're heading to South Asia!
The Dressember team is off to South Asia! Why do we visit the field? We think it is important that you know that the grants you have created are making a real difference. We're observing, we're meeting, we're listening, and we're seeing. We aren't there to assert our influence or put in our two cents but to cheer on the people on the ground who work tirelessly to bring freedom. We're sharing YOUR stories with them & we're listening to the stories they're willing to share with us.
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The Tote Project: Hope You Can Hold
Handbags, clutches, satchels, oh my! As women, we carry our bags and purses with us everywhere we go, and consequently we carry a little bit of our lives with us everywhere as well. There are countless “what’s in your bag” features on the internet and social media today, and as a society, we appear to be obsessed with what our purse contents reveal about us. But what would happen if we cared just as much, if not more, about what the creation of our bags and purses said about us as we do their contents?
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Ten Years, 8000 miles and a Woman Who Does
This feature is the first of our "Women Who Do" Series. We are constantly seeking inspiration from the amazing women around us who are using their specific influence to break the mold, make a difference, or shake up their industries for the better. Over the next few months we will be sharing our interviews with a handful of amazing women. We hope that you will be as inspired by them as we are.
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A New Meaning To Independence Day
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [and women] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” - United States Declaration of Independence
On this Independence Day, I’d like to take the time to reflect on the meaning of independence and why the fight for freedom didn’t quite stop in 1776.
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Let's Talk: Legislation
When we think about human trafficking, we often think about rescue aid and prosecution. The media emphasizes raising awareness, recognizing the indicators of trafficking, rescuing victims from slavery and ongoing violence, and locking up criminals. Though talking about legislation does not always seem very appealing, it is a crucial part of advocacy. The truth is, anti-trafficking legislation is a powerful channel for prevention and intervention. Local, national, and global legal instruments are used to address and ultimately combat human trafficking. If effective legislation pertaining to human trafficking is not put in place, public prosecutors have no basis to ensure that local police restrain trafficking criminals or that survivors are represented in court. Today we will be delving into legislation concerning human trafficking that is most pressing today.
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A Fight For Everyone
The right to human dignity is craved by every human being. It is a right, however, that is often mistakenly believed to be fought for by specific communities. Taking a quick look at some of the world’s leading anti-trafficking organizations, it can appear that the people on the front lines of fighting modern slavery are religious. In fact, a principal driver behind the civil rights movement in the U.S. has been deeply rooted in and supported by religious fervor, which champions the idea that we are all free and equal in God’s eye. The recognition of the church’s role in such movements can be daunting for someone who is not religious. In spite of this, it is important for us to recognize that the fight to end modern day slavery is a universal human issue; the fight for human rights is a matter that implicates everyone, not just those belonging to a particular demographic.
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Target's Mission Towards Responsible Sourcing & Supply Chain Sustainability
We’ve all seen those relatable memes on social media feeds that say things such as: “Target shopping mission: buy shampoo. Two hours later, spent $300.” As a Target consumer myself, who has been guilty of the above unintentional shopping spree too many times to count, I’m taking the challenge to learn more about ethical shopping and be more aware of ethical sourcing. As one of the largest retailers in the nation with 1,800 locations and 85% of Americans shopping at their stores, it has a large impact and influence on how products are sourced and how consumers shop.
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Meet Lauren!
If you combine a love for writing, Lord of the Rings, and adventure you get our Dressember intern Lauren Farris. Lauren grew up north of Seattle, Washington and has resided in the surrounding area her entire life. She attributes her love for the arts, social justice, and nature to her hometown and is deeply grateful for parents who have encouraged her to pursue, explore, and take risks.
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The End Modern Slavery Initiative act: A Global Fight to End Slavery
Over the past couple of years, numerous studies have forced us to recognize that the deplorable presence of modern day slavery is a gross reality for the world. Current estimates conclude that there are nearly 40 million people trapped in this horrible industry, which include those who are inflicted by either sex or labor trafficking. As we are confronted with such statistics, it is becoming harder for us to ignore a problem that is only exacerbated by apathy and indifference.
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Atlanta Redemption Ink: The Art of Removal & Restoration
What if the worst moments of your life were depicted in a single mark on your body, forever etched onto your skin? Perhaps you were able to escape the abuse you endured physically, however, the physical manifestation of it on your body prevents you from escaping its wrath psychologically. This predicament haunts those who have endured the branding and scarring that accompanies physical and sexual abuse, and more specifically, those who have endured sex trafficking. Traffickers and abusers often mark their victims with barcodes, initials, and other personalized forms of imagery that symbolize trafficker possession and ownership of their victims.
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Hotels: Raising the Risk of Human Slavery
A teenage girl pays for a hotel room in cash while glancing nervously at the older man beside her. The “do not disturb” sign hangs on the same door for a week. A chain of men enter and exit one room all through the night.
These are just a few signs that human trafficking could be taking place in a hotel.
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An Honest Review of ThredUp
A great alternative to purchasing from stores that may be engaging in forced labor is to shop secondhand. With more aspects of our lives undergoing the shift from physical to virtual, locating worthwhile thrift stores - and finding the time to visit them - is becoming increasingly challenging, not to mention the process of digging through unorganized racks of clothing in search of your size can be a frustrating and ultimately fruitless endeavor. This is where web-based secondhand clothing stores have begun to gain their relevance and popularity. One of such stores is thredUP, an extensive virtual marketplace that has been providing shoppers with easy access to women’s and children’s clothing and accessories since 2009, subsequently earning the title of the world’s largest online thrift and consignment store.
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