Global Slavery Index / Spotlights

Overview

The costs of the climate crisis

The impact of climate change hits hardest those who are already in precarious situations, such as women, children, indigenous people, and members of marginalised communities, increasing their vulnerability to modern slavery.

A weapon and consequence of war

While protracted conflict is a known risk multiplier, our understanding of the intersection between conflict and modern slavery is beginning to grow more nuanced.

Investing in exploitation

Traditionally, the financial sector is perceived as low risk for human rights abuses. In reality, there are multiple ways the sector is exposed to risks of modern slavery, including through its operations, supply chains, and business relationships.

Understanding forced and child marriage

The ability to freely choose who, when, and whether to marry is an essential human right, yet forced marriages still occur in almost every country.

Orphanages as modern slavery hubs

Evidence from governments and civil society organisations highlights the multifaceted relationship between children’s institutions and human trafficking — revealing a complex web of factors that position orphanages as both a driver and an outcome of exploitation.

Examining state-imposed forced labour

State-imposed forced labour is among the most egregious forms of modern slavery as it involves states not only failing in their duty to safeguard human rights, but actively using their power to perpetrate abuse.

Chocolate’s hidden ingredient

Chocolate is a vastly popular treat all over the world, yet many consumers do not know that forced or child labour may have been used to produce it.

Stitched with slavery in the seams

There are risks of modern slavery at each stage of the garment supply chain, from growing and producing raw materials, to processing these into inputs, to manufacturing.

Forced labour at sea

Increased focus on modern slavery at sea has galvanised political pressure to reform the regulatory environments which allow high-risk fleets to operate with near impunity.

Life under the kafala system

The kafala system is a set of laws and policies that delegate responsibility for migrant workers to employers, including control over their ability to enter, reside, work, and, in some cases, exit the host country.

Modern slavery on social media

There is mounting evidence social media is used to facilitate modern slavery, with perpetrators able to simultaneously target multiple people in different geographic locations, access their personal information, and exploit vulnerabilities.