Have you heard of the Global Slavery Index?

Have you heard of the Global Slavery Index? Since 2018, they’ve been delving deep into the issue of human trafficking across the globe, examining its personal and international impacts and how our consumer habits are contributing to the problem.

Updated with new research every few years, the Global Slavery Index (GSI) offers a stark and often unsettling look at the state of modern slavery worldwide. Grace Forrest, Co-Founder of Walk Free (the organisation behind the GSI), highlighted a grim reality: despite growing awareness, modern slavery is getting worse.

Of these, nearly 28 million are enduring forced labor, while 22 million are victims of forced marriage. Shockingly, 1 in 4 enslaved individuals are children.

Countries like North Korea, Eritrea, and Mauritania have the highest rates of slavery and show the least progress in addressing the issue. In North Korea alone, 1 in 10 people are forced into labor by the state. On the brighter side, nations such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands are leading the charge against modern slavery within their borders. Since the last index in 2018, Australia, France, Germany, and Norway have even enacted modern slavery laws that require businesses to exercise human rights due diligence.

In G20 countries, a staggering $710 million AUD worth of imports may be linked to slave labor. These imports span various industries, including electronics, garments, palm oil, solar panels, and textiles. Australia alone imports $26.3 million AUD worth of at-risk products annually, with the most common being electronics, fish, garments, solar panels, and textiles.

While COVID-19 is a significant factor in these findings, the GSI also uncovered a direct link between climate change and rising modern slavery. Vulnerable populations face heightened risks of exploitation due to displacement and economic hardship. The UN estimates that 80% of those displaced by climate change are women, placing them in perilous positions for sexual violence and sex trafficking. Children, too, suffer disproportionately; harsh and unpredictable weather can devastate already struggling families, making them more susceptible to coercion or trafficking.

To effectively combat trafficking and modern slavery, the GSI recommends increasing efforts to protect human rights through training and policies, enhancing prevention and protection for vulnerable populations by improving education and support services, enforcing robust protections against child and forced marriage, strengthening measures against forced labor in supply chains, and boycotting business with regimes that do not adhere to UN Guiding Principles on Modern Slavery.

As consumers and citizens, we have the power to hold governments and businesses accountable.

By working together, we can create a world where every individual enjoys the fundamental rights to freedom and dignity, free from the chains of exploitation.

Thank you to our volunteer Lachlan Williams for researching and contributing to this newsletter.