How many slaves work for you?

Ellie Lehto, Journalist

On September 22, 2011 Justin Dillon created a website called slaveryfootprint.org so people all around the world can see how many slaves work for them. Now, millions of people from over 200 countries have taken the test.

The quiz starts off by asking where your gender, age, and where you live. Next, you talk about how many children you have, what you have in your home, and what you eat. Then you show what is in your medicine cabinet. It asks you this because every day children work to mine mica for makeup products. The test asks you how many precious metals and gemstones you own. Diamonds are commonly known to use unethical practices but immorality is not limited to blood diamonds.

You input how many electronics you use. Coltan is a product commonly used in electrons and is mined from the Congo. It is extremely likely that it was mined or transported using unfair labor. Clothes and sporting goods are products well known for using slave labor. The quiz asks how many sporting goods, tops, shoes, dresses, and accessories you own. Then you are done with the test. It tells you how many slaves on average work to produce the goods that you consume. There are also tips on how to reduce that number.