International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
On the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Saint Domingue, (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
It is against this background that the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on 23 August each year.
How did the slave trade abolition campaign begin?
As the trade in enslaved people reached its peak in the 1780s, more and more people began to voice concerns about the moral implications of slavery and the brutality of the system.
From the beginning, the inhuman trade had caused controversy. London was the focus for the abolition campaign, being home both to Parliament and to the important financial institutions of the City. As early as 1776, the House of Commons debated a motion ‘that the slave trade is contrary to the laws of God and the rights of men’.
Between 1662 and 1807 British and British colonial ships purchased an estimated 3,415,500 Africans. Of this number, 2,964,800 survived the ‘middle passage’ and were sold into slavery in the Americas. The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration in human history and completely changed Africa, the Americas and Europe.
Thankfully as a nation we have come a long way since these dark times but modern day slavery is still very much present in society and has sadly not been completely eradicated.
Modern slavery is the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain. Modern slavery is all around us, but often just out of sight.
From the outside, it can look like a normal job. But people are being controlled – they can face violence or threats, be forced into inescapable debt, or have had their passport taken away and are being threatened with deportation. Many have fallen into this oppressive trap simply because they were trying to escape poverty or insecurity, improve their lives and support their families. Now, they can’t leave.
40 million people are estimated to be trapped in modern slavery worldwide:
- 1 in 4 of them are children.
- Almost three quarters (71%) are women and girls.
- Over 10,000 were identified as potential victims by the authorities in the UK in 2019.
Ramon Hygiene recognises the responsibility it shares with its suppliers to buy, manufacture and sell products in an ethical manner. Ramon want customers to be confident that the people who make their products are treated fairly with respect for basic human rights and that they are not exposed to unsafe working conditions. When ethical standards are adhered to, not only do individual workers benefit but productivity and quality also improve.
Ramon Hygiene are Sedex Members committed to sourcing responsibly and having an ethical and sustainable supply chain. As a Sedex Member, we are able to map our supply chain, identify higher risk suppliers and request them to have a social ethical audit. We can then work with our suppliers to improve their business practices to create safe working conditions in regions that we source.
The EGL Group strongly opposes any form of modern slavery and it is committed to ensuring there is no modern slavery and human trafficking in any part of its business or in its supply chain. You can follow this link for a copy of the latest EGL Group Modern Slavery statement.