What can I do?

     

               Now we have a good idea of why there are sweatshops, what the worker go through and the economics involved. Of course no one wants to contribute to deaths of workers or supporting a business that puts people in poor working environments for little wages. By continuing to be a consumer to the companies that have sweatshop work and not raising awareness of this issue you are essentially supporting the sweatshops.

                Some people believe that the only way to help the sweatshop workers is to completely ban supporting the businesses that utilize them. By using fair trade companies and second hand clothing stores the buyer is no longer supporting the business and therefore reducing the demand of sweatshops. There are many websites encouraging this and one that promotes complete boycotting of sweatshop products is here.

                On the other end of the spectrum people argue that boycotting sweatshop businesses forces them to shut down their sweatshops and leave millions unemployed and in a worse spot than they originally were in. The workers will be unemployed and their economy will take a huge hit, sometimes upwards of billions of dollars. The claims that this is the worst thing that you can do for the workers. See the video below of a supporter of sweatshops explain the negative affects of closing sweatshops.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxBzKkWo0mo

 

 

             After all of my research I've come to the conclusion that I believe in both of these perspectives to a certain degree. We must raise awareness and demand a change, if a company then cannot do that then we as consumers should boycott the brand. I believe the way to truly impact the sweatshops is through education and continuous demand of business ensuring the safety and fair compensation of the workers that produce their product. If a company is constantly in the spotlight and their practices are constantly questioned then they will begin to comply. Public perception is the main focus of businesses and without it they will not be able to thrive. I do believe that sweatshops support economies and the workers that are employed in them. Creating revenue is crucial to their survival. Creating revenue and boosting the economy cannot be an excuse for businesses or consumers to turn a blind eye to the issues at hand. The safety and prosperity of the workers needs to be the responsibility of the businesses creating the demand. Media attention to companies like H&M and Nike need to be ongoing so that they are held accountable. Signing a contract will not suffice in mending their public image. Progress needs to be shown and they need to put their money where their mouth is.