Canadians divided on whether most popular Mother's Day gifts may be result of child labour, new Ipsos Reid Poll

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 8, 2014 /CNW/ - In a new Ipsos Reid poll released today by World Vision, Canadians are divided on whether child labour is involved in manufacturing our most popular Mother's Day gifts. While 76 per cent of Canadians have a heightened awareness of child labour in the manufacturing of clothing, less than half suspect child labour may be involved in the manufacturing of jewelry, chocolate, flowers and fancy bath products—all likely to be given to millions of Canadian moms this Sunday as a show of love.   

Today's poll is part of the aid and development agency's ongoing No Child For Sale Campaign working to prevent and eliminate the worst forms of child labour. World Vision is encouraging Canadians to buy fair trade or ethically certified gifts this Mother's Day and urging them to ask their favourite retailers to provide ethical options.

Poll Results:

• Given a list of typical Mother's Day gifts, Canadians were asked to pick which ones may involve the use of child labour in other countries. Here are the percentages of Canadians who felt the following industries may involve child labour in other countries:
  • Clothing – 76%
  • Jewelry – 48%
  • Fancy bath products – 37%
  • Chocolate – 22%
  • Flowers – 20%
  • No Mother's Day gifts are made using child labour—14%
• 83% of Canadians say they have no idea if what they are buying is contributing to child exploitation in other countries
• 87% of Canadians say they would pay more for products designated fair trade or free of child labour. The average Canadian is willing to pay about 23% more for this assurance
• 56% of Canadians say they look for fair trade logos on products they buy to ensure those who made the products aren't being exploited and 49% say they've gone out of their way to buy products that are designated fair trade or designated free of child labour

Quotes:
"The reality is that child labour is often involved in the manufacturing of the most popular Mother's Day gifts—chocolate, jewelry, flowers, fancy bath products and clothing. There's something especially horrendous about this kind of exploitation knowing that these gifts are given by Canadian children to their moms to show love," says Cheryl Hotchkiss, No Child For Sale campaign manager, World Vision Canada. "Children swinging machetes in cocoa fields. Children deep in mines digging for precious metals. Children toiling in harsh conditions on flower plantations and in palm fields. These aren't images that come to mind when we think of the joy of Mother's Day celebrations with our children."

"Mothers the world over are proud of their children, the product of their love and labour, and their gifts to the future. Moms whose children have to work in dangerous conditions, sacrificing their educations and futures, likely don't have many moments of pride and undoubtedly shed far too many tears," says Hotchkiss. "We can help change their lives with our consumer choices, starting with Mother's Day gifts. Companies respond to consumer demand, we've seen this with ethical chocolate and coffee now in mainstream stores. This can also happen for clothes and other popular Mother's Day gifts if consumers demand it."

Resources:

GTA-specific statistics
Video b-roll of child labour (Link to Youtube)
Photos
Fact sheet – Child labour
Fact sheet – Cotton
Fact sheet – Coffee
Fact sheet – Cocoa
Fact sheet – Mining
Fact sheet – Ethical Consumerism

Twitter hashtag: #NoChildForSale   

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Visit our News Centre on worldvision.ca

SOURCE: World Vision Canada

Tiffany Baggetta - cell: 416-305-9612, [email protected]