In order to bring awareness to human trafficking and modern-day slavery, the International Justice Mission hosted a fair trade fashion show on Nov. 10 in the Student Center ballroom.
The show focused on pieces created by women of byTavi, a fair trade organization that provides income for women in Cambodia and their families by teaching them to sew and make clothes along with other skills to keep themselves and their children out of slavery.
Attendees had the opportunity to look at and purchase clothing from the organization after the show, with all proceeds going to the Center for Global Impact. IJM held the show in honor of No Slave November.
Lauren Baney, president of IJM, enjoyed the turnout for the event. She said she hopes they continue to enlighten students across campus with both this event and any future events.
“There are some people making great strides, but we need the support of others to really bankrupt the systems of labor trafficking and fight to change things," Baney said.
Christina Thibodeau, a member of International Justice Mission, said fair trade can impact countries like Cambodia and others.
“Fair trade means that not one was enslaved to make these products, no forced labor, no child labor went into it,” Thibodeau said.
Those who make items get paid, especially in industries of clothing, coffee and chocolate, where trafficking is high. But people are enslaved in the U.S. as well, not just third world counties.
The average age sex trafficking victims go into trade here in the United States is from 12-14, according to WeAreThorn.org. Over 100,000 Americans exploited into sex trafficking every year, according to the National Report on Domestic Sex Trafficking.
“We’re trying to raise awareness because a lot of people don’t know about it,” Thibodeau said. “People don’t want to know that everything they’re buying is the product of slavery. It’s a really sensitive topic and it needs people to raise awareness of it.”
Guest speaker Kelsey Timmerman, author of "Where am I Wearing," spoke at the show about his personal experience of traveling the world to find where his clothing was made, and meeting the people who made them along the way.
He said because of what they are doing, who knows how much resources would go back to Cambodia and impact someone’s life.
“It’s why I do what I do, it’s why I share these stories, it’s why I went these places,” Timmerman said.
“My book – these stories – aren’t going to change their lives, but I see things like this that happen that maybe these stories reached folks that I talk to," he said. "I talk to a lot of students, and maybe it changes something in them and maybe they will go off to do something that will ultimately change the lives.”
There are ten stores throughout Indiana who carry byTavi products, including stores in Indianapolis, Noblesville and Fishers. byTavi.com features more items that they have for sale.
