Attending The Anti-Slavery Collective Event at Goals House.

Nasreen Sheikh with HRH Princess Eugenie at Goal House.

I recently had the honor of speaking at an event hosted by The Anti-Slavery Collective, in partnership with UNGA Goals House, focused on the urgent and often hidden issue of counterfeit fashion. This booming market drives a web of exploitation that harms both people and the planet — from forced labor and child exploitation to human trafficking. The supply chains behind these goods are often hidden in plain sight, and it is critical that we bring them into the light.

Hosted by our co-founder HRH Princess Eugenie, the event brought together a diverse group of speakers, including Sarah Woodcock, Ashley Dahl, Vidyuth Srinivasan, and Dr. Sheena Mipuri. We explored how this criminal enterprise operates and discussed ways to hold companies accountable for the human rights violations embedded in their supply chains.

As a survivor leader, and Commissioner for the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, I shared why including survivor voices in these conversations is essential. Awareness alone is not enough we must also challenge the culture that drives people to seek self-worth and status through luxury goods, often without seeing the human and environmental cost behind them.

At Empowerment Collective, we believe it is our duty to shift toward a culture that values people over products, to call out exploitation, and to ensure transparency, dignity, and justice in every corner of the global economy.

Together, we can redefine what success and value truly mean for both humans and the planet.