Working For Workers' Rights

Child labor and sweatshops still exist. In 2006, it was reported that Ipod factory workers in China worked 15 hour days and slept in dormintories where visitors were not permitted, all to obtain $50 per month. These stories are all too common, but they don't have to be.

Through the clothes we purchase, and the choices we make as consumers and suppliers, we can live in a world where sweatshops cease to exist. Organizations such as Green America provide programs, suggestions and new ideas that allow our voices to be heard, encouraging companies worldwide to come on-board in the fight for fair labor rights.

Kumarian Press' recent release, Advocacy Across Borders focuses on this cause and the role of globally Northern-based NGOs in transnational advocacy networks who aim to provide fair working conditions for everyone. The book includes case studies of four NGOs and highlights their link with the anti-sweatshop network.

Learning about fair trade will educate us and others to do the right thing for labor workers worldwide.

Making Fair Trade Work for Women

In a new article, Marsha Dickson (Artisans and Fair Trade) says that fair trade standards, which tend to limit what constitutes a "proper workspace", often fail to take artisans' lives into consideration. This is to the detriment of many women artisans who work from home and need flexible hours. The authors propose that certification schemes broaden "assessment of the benefits of fair trade and demonstrate organizations' accountability to fair trade principles." Here's a video of Marsha speaking about the inherent potential of fair trade to reach new people.