It would be wrong to assume that slavery no longer exists today. Indeed, according to the latest estimates by the International Labour Organization, at least 40 million people worldwide are affected by “modern slavery”. This term includes forced labour as well as forced prostitution and other forms of exploitation.

Modern slavery is woven into our clothing and is prevalent in the global sex industry and in domestic service. It is particularly important to present these connections now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, because victims of enslavement are currently under particular pressure from the threat of deportation. In addition, the economic recession that accompanies the pandemic is likely to put even more people at risk of trafficking and slavery.