Genevieve LeBaron

Professor of Politics and Co-Director of SPERI

How to spur corporate accountability with modern slavery legislation

Genevieve LeBaron - 24 July 2019

Governments are increasingly considering anti-slavery legislation to combat forced labour in the supply chains of global companies. But what makes for effective legislation, and how could existing laws be improved?

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New buzzword, same problem: ‘worker voice’ initiatives and the shortcomings of traditional social auditing

Genevieve LeBaron, Mark Anner & Penelope Kyritsis - 25 March 2019

Ultimately, the only way to root out labour abuses in global supply chains is by disrupting traditional power relations between workers and businesses.

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A New Era for SPERI

Colin Hay & Genevieve LeBaron   -  4 January 2019

In the first blog in a new series, SPERI Directors Colin Hay and Genevieve LeBaron describe SPERI’s evolution since 2012 and set out a new research agenda. 

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Ethical Certification Doesn’t Eradicate Forced Labour

Genevieve LeBaron - 21 October 2018

In the tea industry, on almost every indicator we used to measure labour standards, certified plantations fared about the same, if not worse, as non-certified plantations

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The Endemic Problem of Forced Labour in Global Tea and Cocoa Supply Chains

Genevieve LeBaron - 27 September 2018

What do tea and cocoa have in common? Both products are widely consumed by households around the world; the early world market for both industries was intertwined with the history of colonialism; and in today’s global economy, both products are made with forced labour

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The political economy of the Weinstein scandal

Liam Stanley, Ellie Gore & Genevieve LeBaron - 13 August 2018

This blog series introduces some preliminary research from SPERI’s PREPPE programme, a project that asks: What can political economy tell us about the Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement? And what can the Weinstein scandal and #MeToo movement teach us about political economy?

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Understanding vulnerability to forced labour in global supply chains

Genevieve LeBaron - 25 June 2018

Forced labour is prevalent in the tea and cocoa industries and is happening in the context of widespread labour abuse

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The political economy of forced labour

Genevieve LeBaron, Neil Howard, Cameron Thibos & Penelope Kyritsis  - 10 January 2018

‘Confronting Root Causes: Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains’, a new report that call for innovative approaches to tackle forced labour in global supply chains is published today. The first chapter of the report is republished here.

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Overseas anti-slavery initiatives flourish, but domestic governance gaps persist

 Genevieve LeBaron & Andrew Crane - 14 September 2017

UK-based companies are ramping up efforts to combat slavery in their overseas supply chains. But companies also need to be working harder to address the severe labour exploitation taking place at home

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Mandatory transparency, discretionary disclosure

Genevieve LeBaron - 23 November 2016

New transparency regulations in some places theoretically require companies to report on forced labour in their supply chains, but a new review finds that’s not what’s happening

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Rethinking Recovery: Recovery for whom?

Genevieve LeBaron -  04 July 2016

Corporate profits are soaring, but so is labour exploitation. Who is the ‘recovery’ really benefiting?

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The Coming Crisis: The dangers of indecent work

Genevieve LeBaron -  22 June 2016

To prevent another economic crisis, we must address the spread and normalization of indecent work

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