NEW YORK (March 2, 2023) – On Monday, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) launched a new ad campaign in the heart of Times Square, bringing awareness to the prevalence of Uyghur forced labor within the fashion industry.
The systematic detention and exploitation of the Uyghur population and other ethnic groups by the Chinese government has been widely condemned as genocide by multiple countries, including the United States and Canada.
According to the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, an estimated one in five cotton products in the global apparel industry are believed to be linked to Uyghur forced labor. Despite this, brands have not been forthcoming about their potential connections to the issue, so consumers don’t know whether they’re buying into the problem.
“We are committed to bringing the important topic of Uyghur forced labor to one of the world’s most iconic centers of fashion,” said HRF Manager of Asia Policy and Programs Jenny Wang. “Our Uyghur Forced Labor Checker is making it easier for shoppers to hold brands to a higher standard and force the fashion industry to take a stand and say no to the use of Uyghur forced labor in their supply chains.”
HRF’s latest ad campaign aims to help combat this, encouraging consumers to use the Uyghur Forced Labor Checker and consider the impact of their purchases. Using research provided by the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, this Google Chrome extension informs consumers with a pop-up when they visit a website of a brand that may be linked to Uyghur forced labor, prompting them to leave at the point of purchase.
With this initiative, HRF aims to increase awareness about the fashion industry’s involvement in the Uyghur genocide and empower consumers to make informed and ethical purchases.
Download HRF’s Uyghur Forced Labor Checker to show the Chinese government that Uyghur forced labor will no longer be profitable.
Wear Your Values is an HRF program that engages the fashion industry in the human rights movement, promotes transparency in the supply chain, and brings awareness to the hidden social costs of the industry through educational articles, events, exhibitions, panel discussions, and talks. HRF is part of the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, dedicated to ending forced labor and human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese government against the Uyghur population and other Turkic and Muslim-majority people.
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. For interview requests or media inquiries, please email [email protected].