By Magnolia
Slavery never really ended in 1863. Slavery is still used in many forms to harm people in all parts of the world.Modern day slavery affects millions of people, especially in developing countries. People in developed countries contribute to the problem, but there are ways to fight slavery in the future. It’s important to every community that we should look out and stop slavery.
Many underprivileged or impoverished people are threatened or controlled by others to perform jobs they would not like to do and not get paid. There are about 40.3 million people in modern slavery around the world today. Although this number is a large amount there are people around the world who are developing new ways to stop slavery. Slavery mostly occurs in countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Bangladesh. Many of these places are undeveloped economies where many people struggle to survive and slavery is their only chance. It’s our responsibility to help these people find new opportunities.
Most citizens of advanced countries are not aware of modern slavery and fail to prevent it. For example people are not realizing that what they are purchasing is supporting slavery. According to the Guardian, “The US was found to have imported similar goods worth $144bn (£110bn), making it by far the biggest global importer of products potentially made by slaves.” Although many governments have been warned about what is going on they have only been stopping the cases that have caused the most public outrage. As another Guardian article reports, “A total of 178 possible cases of car wash slavery were reported in 2017, 34 of which prompted investigations. Only one case led to arrests.” This suggests that governments aren’t taking slavery seriously enough. This neglect of the government is a big issue and we should try and fight it as best as we can.
Fortunately people are starting to develop new ways to help stop slavery. One way to stop slavery is to watch what you’re buying or what communities you’re supporting. By watching what you’re buying you can support companies that are transparent such as Everlane. An anti slavery charity called Unseen has developed an app to report acts of modern-day slavery to a helpline. “Whether that is technology for businesses to map their supply chains, or an app for everyone to have in their pocket at the nail bar, car wash or take away, this isn’t just a gimmick, it’s an essential part of the fight to eradicate slavery” said Unseens CEO Andrew, Wallis. These solutions are an important part of the fight to end slavery.
People in every country should fight against slavery. Undeveloped countries are vulnerable to slavery, but developed countries help support it, and they need to do more to fight it. We should all have the same rights, and nobody should have to suffer.