How businesses can identify and tackle modern slavery will be one of the subjects for Baroness Lola Young’s inaugural lecture as an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham on 12thNovember.
The lecture, ‘Are My Hands Clean?: Understanding Modern Slavery’, has been organised by the University’s Rights Lab and will cover the roles and responsibilities of businesses in tackling slavery, why Baroness Young OBE chose Modern Slavery as the focus of her parliamentary work, and how to campaign effectively in the House of Lords.
Baroness Young will also give some personal insights, discussing the challenges of maintaining work-life balance and reveal how she combines her passion for Premier League football with her parliamentary work!
Professor Zoe Trodd, Director of the Rights Lab, said: “We are very excited that Baroness Young accepted our offer of an Honorary Professor role with the Rights Lab, the School of Politics and International Relations and the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her work towards understanding and tackling modern slavery, including in the area of business supply chains, is vital for the UK’s leadership in this area, and we are very much looking forward to sharing her change-making approach and ideas with the rest of our campus and city on November 12th!"
The Baroness is an author, former actress and member of the House of Lords, where she works on legislation to eliminate modern slavery, co-chairing the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sport, Modern Slavery and Human Rights.
She is currently working on an amendment to the Transparency in Supply Chains section of the Modern Slavery Act. The Bill would require public bodies, such as local authorities, NHS, government departments etc, to produce statements on modern slavery in the same way as commercial companies are required to. This would mean that public bodies would have to explain what steps they are taking to rid their supply chains of forced and exploitative labour.
The lecture is taking place on 12thNovember at the Djanogly Theatre from 2:30-3:30pm. For tickets go to: understandingmodernslavery.eventbrite.co.uk