Do your shopping habits affect human rights?

In North America, we have the privilege of having everything available to us with the click of a button. Most people don't think twice about who that button is affecting. This is because we have the privilege of choice. Choice of purchase, relationships, employment, and so much more. So, we assume everyone else does, or at least it's not at the front of our minds because it doesn't affect us. Unfortunately, not everyone has all these choices. The choice of employment is a barrier for many people, and I will focus on it here.

Choice of employment. The choice to up and leave a job when safety conditions are bad. The option to ask your boss for a raise or find a job that will pay you better. This privilege of choice is just that, a privilege. The thing is, it shouldn't be a privilege. It should be a right. The right to choose, the right to leave a job that puts your life at risk, the right to get paid enough to have food on your table.

Fast fashion companies exploit their workers. They find people, mainly from the global south, and employ them. Often for low wages, most of them can't even buy a single meal with their weekly pay, let alone their daily pay. Fast fashion companies continue to do this because we continue to buy their products. It's as simple as that "supply and demand." If there is no demand, there is no need for supply. Supply that they source from inhumane practices.

What can you do?

"Support the brands that match your values." (Redman, 2021)

Reduce your consumption

Shop second hand

Shop from small businesses

Do some research on a company before purchase

References:

Redman, E. (2021, March 26). Why your shopping habits are human rights issue and how you can be part of the solution. alt.cardiff. https://cardiffjournalism.co.uk/altcardiff/2021/03/26/why-your-shopping-habits-are-a-human-rights-issue-and-how-you-can-be-part-of-the-solution/

Nguyen, L. (2024, March 4). The danger of sweatshops. Earth.Org. https://earth.org/sweatshops/

It’s time to dismantle fast fashion and its exploitative practices. euronews. (2020, July 28).https://www.euronews.com/green/2020/07/10/exploitation-and-sweatshops-are-at-the-core-of-fast-fashion-it-s-time-to-dismantle-the-sys

This Article was originally posted on kaylaamaro.ghost.io a site that is now unavailable but all copywrites remain to Kayla Amaro, the owner of both sites.