Humans are objectified and exploited in fashion supply chains, often when working in poor conditions while harming our fellow animals.

Learn about humans treated unjustly for fashion

Farm workers

People who work on and run animal farms are a part of fashion supply chains. To meet consumer demand, farm workers often mutilate non-human animals and send them to their slaughter when they’re no longer producing quality materials.

Not only non-humans suffer in this system. The mental distress that comes with such violent work is immense.

Image: Jay Wilde in short doco-film 73 Cows.

Herders and shearing workers

The people paid to shear and comb extremely distressed sheep, alpacas and goats suffer mental anguish.

Many of these people also suffer as they watch the land they herd their animals on be destroyed because of consumer demand for animal fibres for fashion.

Slaughterhouse workers

If sending animals to slaughter is mentally difficult, imagine being paid to slaughter animals all day, every day.

People working in abattoirs often suffer with serious mental health issues and trauma. They are also at high risk of physical injury in the workplace, and are poorly treated by large companies underpaying them.

Tannery workers

Leather tanning almost always requires the use of heavy chemicals. These chemicals harm the humans working with them and their communities.

Often outsourced to people of colour in poorer countries, the tanning of animal skins is dangerous and unethical work.

Above image and cover image: Larry C Price / Pulitzer Centre

Garment workers

The people who spin the yarn, mill the fabric and sew the garments, shoes and accessories we wear are often exploited. While it’s critical we act in solidarity with all of these people, let’s consider those who sew and make fashion pieces.

Garment workers are often commodified and denied basic human rights. Many work under conditions that are considered to be modern day slavery.

Image: World Vision / Mark Nonkes