Ethix Merch: In recent years, the movement has focused on utilizing the leverage of large consumers like states, cities, universities, and school districts. While these projects develop, how can individuals help the cause?

In a related question, do you think it is realistic for consumers to buy only guaranteed sweatshop-free clothing for themselves and their children, or should they focus on supporting the movement in other ways?

The NBA's deal with Russell is the apparel firm's biggest contract.
Indeed, it is the biggest equipment deal in professional sports.

United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS),
along with its union and human rights allies, have sought, without
success so far, to meet with NBA Commissioner David Stern to discuss
Russell's labor practices. It has launched one website to provide more information about the campaign and another to encourage fans to write to Stern.

It means that the cumulative effect of having to work both inside and outside of the home at such an early age ensures that young girls will have virtually no time to learn and acquire skills that could help them qualify for a future job in a managerial position.  It means that the young girls will never receive wages that are above poverty level, even as adult workers due to their lack of education, and it means that the notion that only men are qualified for managerial positions will be perpetuated.  Female workers will always be stuck in this vicious cycle if we don’t learn that girls must be given equal access to education at an early age. 

This deeply rooted tradition and the culture’s acceptance of child labor prevents many children from attending school which means they have no opportunity to escape the life of a househelp and the cycle of poverty. A 2003 ILO/IPEC-Ghana Statistical Service survey on child labor found that out of the 2.47 million children engaged in some form of economic activity, 64.3 percent of them still attended school.