It is estimated that around 27.6 million people are trapped in forced labour conditions worldwide. That’s more than the entire population of Australia. Yet when some Australians go shopping, this polarising statistic sits at the far corner of their mind. Any questions about how their clothes are made might be hushed by a look in the changeroom mirror. Ethical alarm bells can morph into white noise as their groceries are scanned and bagged at the checkout.

WalkFree’s 2023 Global Slavery Index found that Australia imports $17.4 billion USD (almost $26 billion AUD) worth of goods connected to modern slavery, which includes $6.4 billion USD worth of garments and $470 million USD worth of textiles.

Despite this, a 2023 study found that while most people are acutely aware of modern slavery in supply chains, their knowledge was limited, and that this knowledge was not sufficient to change their actions. This disconnect between knowing about modern slavery and still purchasing products connected to it is described by a psychological term: “cognitive dissonance”. This is the act of holding two incompatible thoughts in your mind, causing discomfort.

Health Psychologist Valeria Zoteyeva has researched cognitive and behavioural interventions and is passionate about issues surrounding cognitive dissonance and empathy fatigue. The main reason people turn a blind eye to modern slavery through their purchases is due to “their capacity to tolerate discomfort internally, emotionally”, she tells upstart.

“That is how you’re paying: with your humanity for it,” she says. “That is not being discussed and that is not being kind of addressed because quite often [addressing it] is against the interest of large corporations that pay a lot of money.”

Zoteyeva says that people will tend to prioritise following trends over shopping ethically, as it minimises the “discomfort” they feel socially and says that the immediate pressure of “fitting in” can outweigh the desire to shop ethically.

For those who do try to keep modern slavery at the front and centre of their mind as consumers, there are still challenges. While university student Phoebe Aquino says she tries to remain cautious when shopping, she admits that not all scenarios cross her mind.

“I definitely have a bit more thought when I’m shopping at online shops than I will when in person shopping,” she tells upstart.

Jade Hansper, also a student, tries to live a more ethical and sustainable life, including purchasing from opportunity shops rather than retailers.

“I just try to avoid buying new from any kind of department store,” she tells upstart. “So, I guess as long as it’s second hand, then I don’t feel quite so guilty.”

The Consumer Perspectives Towards Modern Slavery study also found that people’s knowledge on modern slavery was directly related to stories that they had seen in the media and was often limited to a single form of slavery.

Aquino says while she usually buys cheaper clothing, she has specific brands she refuses to support, including Shein, a viral Chinese online retailer which has attracted significant media attention due to alleged human rights violations in its supply chains.

“I draw the line at like Shein, Zaful, all those brands online,” she says. “And then I think if something big came out, and if I actually knew more, because I’m lazy, so I don’t do research, but if like this massive expose came out, like they do this, this and this, and I’m like, ‘crap, that sucks, I’m not going to shop there anymore’.”

In the age of 24-hour news, it can feel like the media highlights a new world issue each day. Hansper says she finds it difficult to stay as ethical as she would like to be. Attempting to feel empathy for all the ethical dilemmas presented in the news cycle can cause fatigue.

“I’ve taken to just not really watching or listening to the news at all, like if the news comes on the radio or the TV, because I think there are only so many issues we can concentrate on,” she says. “I think media also has a lot of choice in what they say we should be worried about.”

The organisation WalkFree works towards ending all forms of modern slavery on a worldwide scale by using data “to hold the powerful to account”. For WalkFree, projects like the Bali Process Government and Business Forum help businesses and governments “collaborate on efforts to address modern slavery” and address the companies and producers making these unethical business practices. Still, Policy and Research Analyst at WalkFree Ana Ardila says that individual action of consumers is also important.

“Consumers do not bear the ultimate responsibility to ensure that modern slavery is uprooted from supply chains, which should always rest with businesses and governments. All people can make choices that cumulatively can create change in the social and political systems that have thus far allowed modern slavery to prosper,” she says.

“People, particularly in high income countries, also turn a blind eye to modern slavery because they see it as an issue that occurs somewhere ‘over there’ and not in their own communities. This is not true.”

Research suggests cognitive dissonance can be overcome through “moral shock”, where consumers “feel a deep shock” at the impact of their own actions, and act on their feeling of discomfort, rather than ignoring it.

Hansper is hopeful that this can be achieved with greater knowledge and awareness on everyday product production, resulting in more people being inclined to make a positive difference.

“It feels like there’s not much we can do about it,” she says. “But if we were to know more about what’s happening in Australia, I feel like maybe there’s a little bit of hope as well for change.”

Article: Isabella O’Brien is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on Twitter @BellaMaeOBrien.

Ella Zammit is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on Twitter @EllaJZammit.

Ruby Oosthuizen is a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts (Digital media) and Bachelor of Science (Zoology) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on Twitter @OosthuizenRuby.

Photo: A Woman Looking at Clothes in a Boutique by Ron Lach is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.