Lynz778
The Fly
Has anyone else seen this article in the Sydney Morning Herald or am I just slow? I'm trying to find the article online now.
Originally posted by digsy hmm, i'm gonna throw myself into the fire here and ask if anyone has read Jeffrey Sachs "The End Of Poverty" book?
Right in the beginning he discusses "sweat shops" in particular those in India. His opinion is that while conditions in sweat shops are appalling, many of the woman who work in them are better off than if they didnt. it gives them a greater sense of independence and puts woman in the workplace where they can now earn for themselves and take their own individual step upwards out of poverty. the effect on further generations is astounding with woman who are working normally having less children than those who don't work which means greater opportunity for the children they do have.
in fact, many of the first generation of sweat shop workers are now able to provide their own children with an education that they didnt have before which puts those children one step ahead on the poverty ladder and in a better position than their parents. It's a kind of chain reaction that improves in time.
One of the big obstacles in overcoming extreme poverty is a lack of gender equality and enabling woman to work, be it in sweat shops or elsewhwere, kick starts a change in the economy which can help pull a country out of its poverty through the generation to generation changes i just mentioned.
What Sachs says, which i now agree with, is that we shouldnt be fighting to shut down sweat shops but working harder to make sufficient changes within them so that these woman are no longer subjected to sexual harrassment, slave wages, appalling conditions etc because ultimately the work they do in the sweatshops is a very good thing for both themselves and the country employing them thats trying to pull itself out of poverty.
now obviously these "rules" can get bent slightly - it's a different ball game with children and its different country to country - but as a general practice, the pro's and cons of sweat shop work are very misunderstood.
slave labour
dandy said:i can't help but note the irony of the make poverty history bracelets being manufactured in sweatshops.
Originally posted by dandy
the end of poverty book was a fantastic read.