Our key takeaway: “50 million people are living in modern slavery on any given day in 2021.” This is a 10 million increase since the 2018 Global Slavery Index. Of this figure, nearly two-thirds of all forced labour cases are connected to global supply chains. US$468 billion of G20 imports are goods at risk of modern slavery. As the report states, modern slavery “permeates every aspect of our society. It is woven through our clothes, lights up our electronics, and seasons our food.” The report makes the inextricable link between climate change and human rights: associated effects of climate change, such as resources scarcity, loss of livelihoods, increases in poverty and unequal access to health and education, all magnify the drivers of modern slavery. And brings the gender angle: with the climate crisis, women’s suffering is intensified by the structural gender inequalities that dominate their lives. And touches upon the human rights impacts of climate action itself, shining the light on how industries creating create renewable energies to tackle the climate crisis has led to further risks of exploitation.
Walk Free released The Global Slavery Index 2023, which sets out the national estimates of modern slavery for 160 countries (May 2023):