How can women avoid condoning the mistreatment of sweatshop workers by being conscious consumers?

It’s nearly impossible in the U.S. today to buy sweatshop-free, even when you *do* buy products made in the U.S. (more than 50 percent of American-made items are made in sweatshops in U.S. territories). Because women are inordinately victimized through sweatshop labor, what can women do with their actions and money as consumers to resist directly or indirectly supporting unfair and inhumane labor practices?





I, for one thing, buy clothes secondhand when possible.|||It's a sick sad world. There's not much that can be done. I know a lot of very bright people who rally against such things yet find themselves buying them anyway. High-profile, published experts on the travesty of globalization, nonetheless. If you're going to live in the world in 2007, the products of cheap labor cannot be escaped. I spent a whole semester studying this....





Buying secondhand is a good idea. I buy massive amounts of used things on eBay, tax free, from individuals, at a fraction of retail.|||Buckethead is right. If people were to boycott products they believe to have been made in sweatshops, the people making the products would lose their jobs. They may not be in ideal work situations, but at least they can make enough to survive.


As for your stats on the US made items. I think you have been listening to --- looking at ---or reading, propaganda. Sounds like ACLU type of crapola.|||arguably if you go second hand you bear no guilt for it's production, with food and such it should say fair trade somewhere and try to go with locally made stuff (small business you can look into personally)





there is some debate regarding the boycott of sweatshop labor but wal-mart is improving conditions in there Chinese factors so no worries about costing some 6 year old there job|||Unfortunately, I have to agree with some of these posters. Having family in Poland and knowing what the pay scale is there, and the mentality that any work is good work because money is food and survival, and where the majority of the young people are leaving their homeland to find better paying jobs to raise their standard of living, I can see their point.


However, that being said, if you know for a fact that a company is abusing its employees, why shop there? I personally will not shop in Wal-Mart or Sam's Club because of this company's policies towards its employees and its practice of price control with vendors. This policy itself guarantees shoddy products in eventuality.


I have heard that the Gap and Old Navy are also stores that should be scrutinized for this type of behavior.


I agree with you; when you know what a company is doing is immoral, why perpetuate it by giving them your custom? It is pure laziness on the part of the consumer.|||Dont shop at Wal-Mart. All of their Stuff is shiped over from Chiniese sweat shops via ship containers, then is taken to a distribution center, loaded onto nice looking wal-mart trailers and delivered to the stores, the american public none the wiser.|||I think by simply doing a little research about any company goes a long way. I read your links and thought they were very good sites.|||yea so why don we all buy ugly secondhand clothes n look as bad as u do. no thank u X-)|||I understand your concerns, and validate them. Very good idea for boycotting. But why is your ? posted to just women?|||Charity begins at home. Start with making sure poor women can live HERE and working class women are treated equitably HERE. When you have achieved that and we are all "consumers" THEN you can ask us to participate in consumer powered actions. Until then, most of us don't have the level of purchasing power you are implying by your question.|||Facts?


I see wild claims but no facts... any facts, about this? anybody????








Bueller? Bueller?