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LIFE&FAMILY
170
November14
Find out more
EmancipAsia hosts a monthly
Human Trafficking Film
Forum.
On the evening of 21 and 22 November, see
films including
Daughters For Sale
and
The Day My
God Died
.
The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane.
emancipasia.org
Other resources:
• Distressed Foreign Domestic Workers Helpline
(1800 339 5505)
• HOME Hotline for migrant workers – 24 hours
1800 7 977 977 | home.org.sg
• aware.org.sg
• twc2.org.sg
• facebook.com/stoptraffickingsg
• globalslaveryindex.org
• free2work.org/trends/apparel
• ilo.org/forcedlabour
• unodc.org/blueheart
• freetheslaves.net
• globalfreedomcenter.org
• slaveryfootprint.org
(understand your own slavery footprint)
• theguardian.com
(Google: slave labour producing prawns)
• facebook.com/350TheMovie
prosecuted, so we must have enforcement.” She says part
of the challenge is that Singapore doesn’t have a mandate
over employment agents in other countries. “It’s cross-border
issue; the agents know this, and they can exploit loopholes
and get around legal jurisdictions.”
Consumer choices
Another huge trafficking issue relates to the global supply
chain and the production and sourcing of many everyday
consumer products. Consumers often unknowingly purchase
and use products that are made in part through slavery,
including clothing,electronics, carpets and food.
For instance, that sequined T-shirt that seems like a bargain
at $20 possibly originated from factories vulnerable to the kind
of devastating fires that killed thousands in Bangladesh last
year, where girls are paid 50 US cents a day. Cheap frozen
prawns, perfect for a quick stir-fry, may be the product of slave
labour conditions on Thai fishing vessels. These practices
were recently brought to public attention in an article in the
UK’s
The Guardian
, as well as being thoroughly documented
by the International Labour Office and mentioned in a US
State Department report.
While international efforts continue apace to combat
trafficking, some responsibility lies with every individual to do
something, or at the very least to be aware. Each of us can help
by spreading the message and helping to raise awareness.