Combating modern slavery through ethical consumerism: the role of Australian civil society organisations

To combat the grave problem of modern slavery in supply chains, governments rely on consumers and investors to hold corporations accountable. Yet little is known about the critical role civil society plays in empowering citizens to serve this function. In this world-first study of an anti-slavery advocacy network, this project aims to investigate how civil society can mobilise ethical consumerism to combat slavery.

Through network-mapping, discourse analysis, and in-depth interviews, this project analyses anti-slavery organisations’ responses to the introduction of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, measuring the extent to which the norm of ethical consumerism as a response to modern slavery is embraced or resisted. The project aims to develop evidence-based recommendations for how civil society can work in concert with the state and other actors to address complex global problems through marketplace activism.

More information is available on the project website.

Chief Investigator