Do you know how your makeup was made?
A campaign by Made in a Free World, an organization on a mission to combat modern-day slavery, is fighting against child labor in India where 60 percent of the Earth's mica is mined. The glittery mineral is used in many common cosmetic products sold internationally, and is often mined on the backs of Indian children working in sub-standard, dangerous and illegal conditions.
According to DanWatch, a nonprofit advocating for social justice issues, children as young as 5 years old are forced to enter crumbling mine shafts and use hammers to chisel away at the resource, even while it's illegal for anyone in India under the age of 14 to be employed in mining. Children have been known to work 12-hour days for just $4 in mines in India, according to Agence France Presse.
The best way to combat the injustice, Made in a Free World argues, is for individual fundraising efforts to create "safe villages" that allow children to freely and safely attend school. As the website notes, $50 can prevent a child from working and gives them an education, while $100 provides them a bike to get to school.
Learn more about Made In A Free World's efforts on its website.
