Modern Slavery

A perfect PR challenge for the world’s companies is to combat slavery. More than 40 million people are held in bondage, most of them women and children. Companies can make headway in stamping out this crime by ensuring that none of their vendors use enslaved workers. From there, they can lobby for change in countries where slavery is present. Since money talks, threatening to abandon nations that do not proscribe and enforce anti-slavery laws is one way to approach the situation. There is no justification for modern slavery except greed. Workers held in bondage are paid a pittance so owners can reap profits. There are as well household slaves in many Asian countries — women held with little or no pay to perform chores around homes. Companies should make sure that none of their employees practice domestic slavery. Intrusion into personal affairs is merited. In any legal way possible, slavery should be annihilated.