Make an ethical choice this Christmas

*Please note, this campaign is no longer active. It ran from 27 November 2020 – 4 January 2021.

This Christmas, STOP THE TRAFFIK is working to champion garment worker’s rights. 

Covid-19 has caused many fashion brands to suddenly cancel orders and stop paying workers due to a drop in consumer demand. Factories worldwide have been forced to close, leaving many employees without a steady income in the middle of a pandemic – and little chance of compensation. Between March and May this year alone, garment workers have lost wages in the region of 5 billion USD [Clean Clothes Campaign].  

Tackling this, STOP THE TRAFFIK is thrilled to announce its new ethically produced t-shirt, which will not only provide a fair living wage to garment workers, but also channel all profits directly back into the vital work they do every day to stop the exploitation of human beings. By purchasing a t-shirt, you are not only showing your support for garment worker’s rights, you are helping STOP THE TRAFFIK towards its long-term goal of eradicating exploitation, for good.  

The t-shirt 

The t-shirts are ethically produced by No Sweat, a grassroots anti-sweatshop campaign that works with independent trade unions around the world, and the design is by talented UK artist, Sophie Charnley. All t-shirts will be made available on a pre-order basis, meaning that there will be no wasted stock, minimising environmental impact. They will be sent out in early 2021, with all purchasers receiving a bespoke certificate of pre-order ahead of arrival so they can be given as gifts. You can purchase a t-shirt here.

Women’s t-shirt | STT x No Sweat (Pre-order) | £25    

Men’s t-shirt | STT x No Sweat (pre-order) | £25

Gift card | STT x Ruby Taylor | £10

The issue 

The underpayment of garment workers is not a new issue. The rise in demand for affordable, fast fashion has seen a surge in outsourcing for garment production in the last 10 years, with many major fashion retailers in the West producing clothes in factories on the other side of the world. Not only is it cheaper, many factories in the global south do not have to adhere to the same working practices as we do in the West. As a result, many garment workers struggle to survive on low pay, work unhealthily long hours and are forced to suffer through appalling working conditions.   

This Christmas, we urge you to ditch fast fashion and put your money where your heart is. Only by working together can we STOP THE TRAFFIK.   

About STOP THE TRAFFIK 

STOP THE TRAFFIK is a globally focused NGO working to fight exploitation through radical information sharing and collaboration. Through trainings, partnerships and awareness campaigns, we ensure those at risk of exploitation are empowered with the knowledge and skills to avoid it. 

With key partners including Facebook and IBM, we harness the power of technology to create a world where people are not bought and sold. Our awareness campaigns have run in 10 countries and reached over 7 million people. 

About No Sweat

Our t-shirts are produced by No Sweat, a grassroots anti-sweatshop campaign founded in 2000. Its T-Shirt project began as a protest against green-washing – a term used when a brand markets itself as ethical, using buzzwords like ‘sustainable’ and ‘fair-trade’ – to mask the exploitation of its workers.

All t-shirts produced by No Sweat are made in a worker-owned factory by survivors of the Rana Plaza disaster.  These workers earn a living wage as well as earning a share of the factory profits. They have trade union rights and a collective bargaining committee that protects these rights. 5% of every wholesale t-shirt is put into a Garment Worker Solidarity Fund to help workers still facing exploitation. 

About Sophie Charnley

Sophie is a freelance illustrator based in London. Her illustration style is dynamic, colourful and full of character. She worked as a graphic designer for 6 years before leaving her job to travel the world and illustrate full-time.