The increasing global gap between rich and poor and between women and men is generating and sustaining poverty. In Europe and beyond, extreme inequality is fomenting divided societies and stoking populist sentiment. But inequality is not inevitable – it is a political choice and can be overcome by sensible and coherent policy making, not least on EU level.
Inequality is rampant in the supply chains of products sold in the EU. Big actors use their disproportionate power to pressure small suppliers in Europe and the developing world. They cause devastating environmental damage and deplorable labour conditions for the people who produce everything we buy, from our food to our clothes and our mobile phones.
These people often suffer from precarious work, low wages, poor working conditions, gender discrimination and human rights abuses. Women are disproportionately affected as they are overwhelmingly concentrated in the least secure and lowest paid positions in supply chains, and routinely denied a voice by those in positions of power.
Oxfam calls on the EU to introduce new legislation that requires companies to respect human and labour rights throughout their global supply chains. Rules introducing mandatory human rights due diligence will require companies to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for negative impacts of their business on the rights of people throughout their global supply chain.
Read our detailed briefing, which explains how the EU can contribute to rooting out abuse in our supply chains.