Archives
Jan 18, 2025 | Forced Labour, Stats and Facts about Modern Slavery
Owen: The Gentle Giant Enslaved in Forced Labour Owen * is a towering 6ft 7, with his imposing stature, it’s hard to imagine anyone could exploit him. However, Owen was enslaved in forced labour in regional Australia for years. Originally from a Pacific Island, Owen...
Jan 17, 2025 | Ethical Business Newsletters
The Role of Business in Creating Social Value written by Sally Irwin Social Value? How can your business do well while doing good? In a world increasingly driven by social impact and sustainability, businesses have a unique opportunity to lead the charge. By embedding...
Dec 16, 2024 | About Modern Slavery, Blog, Ending Modern Slavery, Ethical Business
Written by: Sally Irwin The Australian Government’s response to the independent review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) is a step forward—but not a leap. Accepting or agreeing in principle to 25 out of 30 recommendations from Professor John McMillan’s review, the...
Nov 27, 2024 | 16Days of Freedom, Blog, Ending Modern Slavery
Written by: Zainab Attarwali The Global 16 Days of Activism Campaign is a powerful movement calling for the elimination of gender-based violence (GBV). Launched in 1991 by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) and feminist leaders at the first Women’s Global...
Nov 12, 2024 | Blog, Ending Modern Slavery, Ethical Shopping
Written by: Zainab Attarwali As we gather to celebrate the holidays with joy-filled meals, it’s easy to overlook where our festive foods come from and who might be impacted by their production. In Australia, much of the seafood on our plates and the produce on...
Nov 12, 2024 | Ending Modern Slavery, Ethical Business
Written by: Synne Jensen & Jess Irwin Businesses can make a real impact in the fight against modern slavery. In this article, we will highlight three Australian businesses that are leading the way with their human rights responses. WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION: If...
Oct 29, 2024 | Blog, Ending Modern Slavery, Ethical Shopping
Written by: Zainab Attarwali With the joy-filled festive season right around the corner, it’s easy to dive into gift shopping without thinking about the impact it might have on the individuals who make them. This year, why not choose gifts that bring happiness to your...
Aug 19, 2024 | Blog, Ending Modern Slavery
Written by: Zainab Attarwali On 19 August, the world comes together to honour those who dedicate their lives to humanitarian work, often at great personal risk. This World Humanitarian Day, we reflect on the shared mission of all humanitarians: to protect and uphold...
Jul 30, 2024 | Blog, Child Labour, Ending Modern Slavery, Stats and Facts about Modern Slavery
Written by: Zainab Attarwali As the world commemorates UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30th July, it is crucial to remember that human trafficking is a severe breach of fundamental human rights and a global issue that affects every community and...
Jun 12, 2024 | Blog, Child Labour, Ending Modern Slavery, Stats and Facts about Modern Slavery
World Day Against Child Labour 2024 Every year, 12 June is World Day Against Child Labour, a day dedicated to raising awareness and driving efforts to eliminate child labour worldwide. In 2024, the theme is “Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour!”...
May 16, 2024 | Blog, Ending Modern Slavery, Slavery in Fashion
Australian Fashion Week 2024 We take the time to remember the tragic Rana Plaza collapse which took the lives of 1,132 people, mostly garment workers, in Bangladesh 10 years ago. “I managed to rescue her and I remember extracting sharp metals out of her...
Dec 10, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
It is the final day of 16 Days of Freedom. Thank you to everyone who has read and shared every blog with friends, family, or colleagues. Our work couldn’t be done without you, so thank you. Human Rights Day Today is Human Rights Day. It’s celebrated...
Dec 3, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
It is day 15 of our 16 Days of Freedom, which means it’s also day 15 of the UN 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women. It wouldn’t be right to finish this series without discussing the intersectionality between feminism, the fight for women,...
Dec 2, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
With just two more days left in our 16 Days of Freedom, I thought it might be a good idea to share with you about The Freedom Hub – what we do, our vision, and how you can be a part of it. The Freedom Hub The Freedom Hub’s vision is to end modern slavery in...
Dec 2, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
Awareness of the prevalence of fast fashion in our shops and stores is increasing, but is that awareness lending itself to actual change? While there are many articles written by our volunteers and staff on fast fashion and modern-day slavery within the fashion...
Dec 2, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
For day eleven of our 16 Days of Freedom blogs, another intern, Evan Link, has reflected on his time interning with The Freedom Hub. By: Evan Link When I came to Australia for my semester abroad, I knew I wanted to complete an internship where I could make a...
Dec 2, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
For many of us, it’s conceivable that modern-day slavery exists; however, it’s harder to believe that it exists in Australia. The reality for many Australians is freedom – freedom of choice and opportunity. For thousands of others, the reality is...
Nov 30, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
*Today’s blog is a survivor story from last year, shared during the 2022 16 Days of Freedom. While it isn’t a “new” story, I hope you’re moved to compassion by reading Clara’s* story. This is the genuine work our Survivor School...
Nov 30, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
While many of us may appreciate and understand the importance of formal education, we may not fully grasp the impact an education may have on a child at risk of manipulation and exploitation. It’s Day 9 of our 16 Days of Freedom campaign, and today, we will be...
Nov 23, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
Partnerships and collaborations within the justice space are paramount for making progress. The third arm of The Freedom Hub’s social purpose is to “partner in the fight to end global slavery.” Partnership is the only way we will end modern slavery...
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
Today marks the beginning of an annual international UN campaign called 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The campaign begins today, 25 November, and runs until 10 December, on Human Rights Day. What is the campaign? But first, let’s...
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
We’re officially halfway through our 16 Days of Freedom, and I think there is no better way to celebrate than by talking about International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. What is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2023? The UN Day for the...
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
Yesterday, 25 November, was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and it also kicked off the 2023 annual UN campaign, 16 Days of Activism. The Freedom Hub is running 16 Days of Freedom. For day two of our daily blogs, we’re going...
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
It’s the first of December, and the holidays are approaching. For many, gift shopping started months ago, but it’s easily overwhelming for those who didn’t realise how quickly the year was moving and are now last-minute shopping. It’s easy to...
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
For day six of our 16 Days of Freedom blogs, one of our volunteers, Zainab, has reflected on her time as an intern with The Freedom Hub during her six-month study abroad program in Sydney. By: Zainab Attarwala For context, I interned for The Freedom Hub during my...
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
A Survivor Story – from Violence to Victory. The fight against modern slavery is a marathon, not a sprint. For many of us who have spent years in the justice and advocacy space, we wish we could fix every injustice overnight. But it’s just not possible....
Nov 22, 2023 | 16Days of Freedom, Ending Modern Slavery
Modern slavery, whether it be in Australia, America, Latin America, Africa or throughout Europe, does not exist in a vacuum. There is a laundry list of factors that affect those involved. These include – access to education, race, addiction, socio-economic...
Oct 26, 2023 | About Modern Slavery, Ending Modern Slavery, Forced Labour, Forced Marriage, Sex Slavery
If you’ve found yourself reading this blog, I assume you were looking into the reality of slavery worldwide and in Australia. Regardless of how many times you read about the prevalence of slavery in today’s world, it’s still shocking. The statistics...
Oct 10, 2023 | Ending Modern Slavery
Written by: Zainab Attarwala Mental Health as a Universal Human Right Today, on 10 October 2023, the world comes together to celebrate UN Mental Health Day with a profound message: “Mental health is a universal human right.” These words resonate deeply...
Sep 27, 2023 | Ending Modern Slavery
What is the Modern Slavery Act? In 2018, in an attempt to combat modern slavery, Australia introduced a new piece of legislation called the Modern Slavery Act. Under this act, companies with a turnover of more than $100 million annually must publicly report on the...
