Activists to Forever 21: Forced Child Labor is Out of Style for Fashion Week

Human and labor rights advocates are posting on the "fast fashion" clothing retailer Forever 21's Facebook page to tell the company that forced child labor is out of style. Uzbekistan, one of the world's largest cotton producing countries, continues to institute a policy where up to two million children are removed from school across the country and forced to pick cotton to enrich the ruling regime. While scores of companies have spoken out against the abuse and have committed to prohibit the use of cotton made by forced child labor in Uzbekistan in their supply chains, Forever 21 is lagging behind.

As part of Fashion's Night Out, a major event associated with New York Fashion Week, Forever 21 is encouraging consumers to download an app where they can get discounts for participating in a "virtual scavenger hunt." Consumers concerned about labor rights exploitation connected to their clothing are staging somewhat of a fashion day in by asking Forever 21 where it's hiding its morals.

While Forever 21 promotes it's back-to-school apparel as students in the US head back for the fall, reports are beginning to emerge already that young people in Uzbekistan are being prevented from attending school as the cotton harvest season begins and instead are labor to meet government-set production quotas. Top clothing retailers and brands from Walmart to Levi's have opposed the egregious abuses in Uzbekistan's cotton industry. Change.org activists successfully convinced Carter's, the Children's Place, Gymboree and Abercrombie and Fitch to announce policies prohibiting the use of cotton from Uzbekistan in their supply chains.

You can join in asking Forever 21 to oppose forced child labor in cotton and prohibit the use of cotton from Uzbekistan by signing the Change.org petition and taking action on Facebook today. First, go to Forever 21's Facebook page and hit "Like." Then, post a message like one of these:

Forever 21: Forced child labor is out of style! Will you prohibit the use of cotton made by children in Uzbekistan? http://chn.ge/n3a94G

Forever 21: Forced child labor is a fashion faux pas. It's time to stop these abuses in your cotton. http://chn.ge/n3a94G

Forever 21: Forced child labor isn't cute. Join the trend and prohibit cotton from Uzbekistan in your clothes like other major brands! http://chn.ge/n3a94G

After posting on Facebook, you can easily alter these messages to send a message to Forever21 on Twitter in just a few minutes. Try posting tweets like these: "@Forever21: Forced #childlabor is out of style! Will you prohibit the use of #cotton from #Uzbekistan? http://chn.ge/n3a94G #forever21 #FNO" or "@Forever21: Forced #childlabor is a #fashion faux pas. Time to stop the abuses in your #cotton. http://chn.ge/n3a94G #forever21 #FNO" or "@Forever21: Join the trend and prohibit #cotton made by forced #childlabor in your clothes! http://chn.ge/n3a94G #Uzbekistan #FNO #Forever21".

Finally, did you know that the daughter of the dictator of Uzbekistan, Gulnara Karimova, is an aspiring designer and is presenting her clothing collection at New York Fashion Week on September 15th? If you are in the area, you can join a rally and fashion show to protest forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry outside Gulnara's show. Find all the details and RSVP here.

Photo credit: Rajiv Patel