It's clear from our polling research and Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report that without a strong, enforceable law in New Zealand, major brands have little incentive to tackle exploitation. Australia shows us that even a minor change in the law drives companies to improve their policies and transparency.

If New Zealand goes a step further and mandates human rights due diligence from the start, we can ensure more than just reporting. We can drive real action that makes a meaningful difference for people trapped in slavery.

Only our government can make this change.

Years of advocacy, much of it driven by you, have brought us to this point. Right now, two MPs have separate Modern Slavery Reporting Bills in the ballot. Now it's time for our politicians to work together and move one strong modern slavery law forward.

We call on the government to make this their legacy.

When we asked Kiwis what stops them from shopping ethically

...68% said the hardest part is knowing which brands are truly ethical.

It shouldn’t be up to us to spend hours personally researching which footwear products may be linked to exploitation. Most Kiwis agree; 95% of those surveyed said consumers shouldn’t carry the full responsibility for addressing exploitation in supply chains.   

Still, there are steps you can take today to ensure your shoes walk the talk for people and the planet. 

New Zealand can be a place where ethical is the norm, not the niche.

• A place where you can buy any pair of shoes and know the manufacturer didn’t harm a person or poison a river. You don’t have to read the small print because the industry is accountable to protect people and the planet.  

• Where workers earn enough to feed their families, see a doctor, and send their children to school. People work in bright, airy factories and tanneries, safe from toxic fumes, with protective equipment as a right, not a privilege. Their work is freely chosen, never forced. 

• With exploitation-free shoes as the default, no one has to scrutinise sustainability reports. This can be a place where the burden of making an ethical footwear choice shifts from the individual to the production system, where it belongs.