From garment workers in Southeast Asia to vulnerable Indigenous communities in the Americas, people across the world suffer at the hands of corporations abusing their power. Companies have the resources to prevent human rights abuses from occurring in their global operations but instead spend much of their time working to evade accountability for their actions.
Under ICAR’s mission to create a rights-based society, this storytelling project rises to bring the human rights abuses occurring within the value chains of brands and companies headquartered in the Global North to the forefront of corporate accountability. The stories in this campaign are hand-picked from three countries – Mexico, Uganda, and Bangladesh.
These stories are few among many where the plight of workers goes unacknowledged or a genuine concern of community members is never taken seriously by corporations attempting to extract resources from their land.
We, at ICAR, call on lawmakers to create a framework that protects workers, communities, and our most vulnerable from egregious human rights abuses taking place within global operations and value chains of corporations.
Here Are Their Stories
- Mexico: The Fight to be Seen and Heard
- Uganda: The Plight of Communities and Working Women
- Bangladesh: The Toils of the Garment Industry
Mexico: The Fight to be Seen and Heard
Indigenous community members fight against a Canadian mining company, Almaden Minerals, to protect their home, livelihood and land as this mining company tries to extract resources without their consent.
Uganda: The Plight of Communities and Working Women
Workers suffer when companies refuse to prioritize their health & safety. These stories range across various human rights violations detailing what happens when profit is prioritized over the health of workers. It also sheds light on how the havoc created by human rights and environmental abuses within supply chains can destroy communities.
Bangladesh: The Toils of the Garment Industry
Factories across Bangladesh, specifically in the garment industry, are notorious for being exploitative of workers. Workers in garment factories across the country face difficult working conditions, harassment, and abuse. And on top of all that, they are systematically silenced when they demand their rights. These are their stories.