The Dark Side Behind Make-Up Industry
Autor: Thuc Nhi • November 30, 2015 • Term Paper • 1,334 Words (6 Pages) • 1,033 Views
Individual Project
THE DARK SIDE BEHIND MAKE-UP INDUSTRY
Vu Thuc Nhi Tran
900 Global Issues, Section 2
Professor David
November 25, 2014
THE DARK SIDE BEHIND MAKE-UP INDUSTRY
So far the global beauty industry has been an integral part of human life. Increase in consumer awareness of cancer caused by cosmetic chemicals and changes of fashionable lifestyle trends have led cosmetic industry market to flourish significantly in the products with natural ingredients. A matter of labor who works for supporting these kinds of ingredients, however, has been a big issue of this industry. A main ingredient, called mica, used in global cosmetics’ products is mostly illegally exploited by child labor. In order to find ways to address this problem, this paper will examine some following aspects:
- Where does mica come from?
- Who illegally mines for mica?
How are their living and working conditions, and their earnings?
- Does this issue relate to mica buyers such as intermediaries and exporters?
- What are recent solutions?
This dark side of beauty industry concerning child labor issue focuses on the questions above.
Where does mica come from?
In an influential document, Indian Bureau of Mines ([IBM], 2014) states that India’s mica production mostly dominates the extraction and export of mica in the world. In terms of mica’s sources, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra are the primary mica-bearing. In 2011–12, India produced 15,497 tonnes of mica, including crude mica and waste and scrap mica. At the same time, IBM asserts that 131,777 tonnes of mica were exported from India to other countries in 2011–12: China (54%), Belgium (8%), USA (5%), Germany (3%), England (2%) and other countries (28%). There is a glaring discrepancy between the official amount extraction of mica and its export: India exported more than 8 and a half times the official products.
In an Al Jazeera article, Pandey (2014) claims that in Jharkhand and Bihar, over 5,000 children have been exploited to extract mica added to natural cosmetic products of at least 12 companies around the world. This can be concluded that the huge difference between extraction and exports of mica is illegal mica exploited by child labor.
Who illegally mines for mica?
How are their living and working conditions, and their earnings?
According to a report of DanWatch (2014), children working illegitimately in Indian mines are at least 5 years old and the division of labor is based on their ages. Boys’ job is definitely harder than girls’. These poor children toil away 7–9 hours per day to extract or separate the mica, and only have one day-off in the week. This means that numbers of children are unable to go to school or likely to leave school and “start working instead” (DanWatch, 2014, p. 12–13).
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