The Truth About Modern Slavery was published by Pluto Press in January 2021.
We’ve all heard the numbers. 27 million. 40 million. More slaves than ever before in history.
Modern slavery is a popular rallying cry. The estimates of people held in slavery today are shocking, to say the least. But how much do we actually know about the prevalence and nature of slavery today?
In The Truth About Modern Slavery, Emily Kenway challenges the concept of modern slavery. It’s an unpopular position– so much so that I didn’t want to read this book because I knew that it would challenge what I believe about modern slavery and trafficking.
Before writing this book, Kenway worked as an advisor to the United Kingdom’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner. She argues that the term modern slavery is often a misnomer– and can be harmful and problematic.
What is the Truth about Modern Slavery? A Close Look at Exploitation in the Global Economy
Kenway is critical of “new abolitionists” who separate modern forms of slavery from other forms of exploitation, specifically exploitation and human rights abuses in labor.
She’s particularly critical of politicians, academics and businesspeople who use modern slavery as a rallying cry, but don’t acknowledge the suffering and inequity of other exploited people. By framing modern slavery as a rare evil rather than a form of labor exploitation, they create a popular moral cause without acknowledging other forms of exploitation and inequality. Basically, the term modern slavery lacks the nuance necessary to discuss slavery, debt bondage, sex trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Politicians and corporations benefit from that simplification.
Kenway specifically criticizes Kevin Bales, the world’s leading anti-slavery scholar, and his book Disposable People. Kenway demonstrates how Bales treats modern slavery as a unique evil rather than an endemic form of exploitation in the global economy.
Human Trafficking and International Migration
Kenway argues that politicians conflate human trafficking and migrant smuggling to paint all immigration as bad. By not differentiating between migrants who are smuggled across borders (and are moving voluntarily) and migrants who are trafficked (and may or may not be moving voluntarily), politicians can denounce all migration. Racism and nationalism feed anti-migrant rhetoric, while immigration laws in the US and the UK leave migrants vulnerable to exploitation. For example, laws that bind migrant workers to one employer create ample opportunity for that employer to exploit the worker.
Several weeks ago, I heard Senator Mike Lee use this tactic at a human trafficking summit. He spoke about human trafficking victims and migrants from Central America in the same speech without properly differentiating between the two.
The truth is that people choose to move, and people are trafficked, and people in both groups deserve labor rights and human rights.
Sex Trafficking and Labor Rights
Sex trafficking is a complex issue. Kenway shows how misinformation in this area leads to incorrect beliefs about the nature and scale of the problem. As we see in American politics, misinformation can be very useful for those with power.
Kenway argues that the outsized focus of the modern slavery movement on victims of sex trafficking serves as a tool to oppress and marginalize women, migrants and sex workers. Countries have tried various methods of criminalizing prostitution or sex work– and these approaches usually harm women. Kenway recommends approaching exploitation by introducing a discussion of rights and labor.
Behind the Brands: Labor and Supply Chains
If you’ve read my articles on Novel Hand, you know that this is one of my favorite topics to learn about. Exploitation in global supply chains, including textiles, food and technology, is very real. However, Kenway argues that focusing on slavery in supply chains, rather than overall poor labor conditions, is harmful to real progress and change.
Transparency initiatives, corporate social responsibility, certifications, and conscious consumerism are all noble causes with varied outcomes. Kenway advocates for unions and organizing as built-in transparency mechanisms. She calls out the role of the state in protecting workers’ rights, enforcing labor laws, and requiring human rights due diligence.
What Can Be Done about Exploitation and Modern Slavery?
Throughout The Truth about Modern Slavery, Kenway presents shifts in language and framing to ameliorate the harmful effects of modern slavery as a political tool. I found the most convincing part of her argument to be her dissection of the concept of modern slavery. As an umbrella term, modern slavery can refer to many forms of exploitationg, from debt bondage to organ trafficking. Perhaps the most important thing that we as activists and humanitarians can do is to pay more attention to the language that we use.
This kind of care for the language that we use is more common in the immigration or justice space. But Kenway makes a compelling argument that conscientious and accurate language matters just as much in trafficking, slavery and exploitation. How we talk about and frame issues affect how we go about changing and solving them.
So how many modern slaves are there? With varying definitions and the nature of the crime, it’s impossible to know. However, we do know that exploitation in the global economy is not limited to individuals held as slaves. By broadening our understanding of labor and exploitation, Kenway argues that we can make greater progress towards a more equitable and just economy.
Do you find Kenway’s argument in The Truth About Modern Slavery convincing? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
Not sure if you want to read the book? Learn more about Kenway and her argument in this podcast.
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