Plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia supplying palm oil to the world's largest perfumery manufacturers have been convicted of human rights abuses, with women working for them facing abuse, threats and even rape. Information about this was revealed by an investigation by the Associated Press.
In the palm oil industry, it is women workers who often do the most unhealthy jobs, including carrying heavy loads and handling hazardous pesticides without proper protection. At the same time, they cannot afford medical care, and some even work almost without wages due to unnaturally high daily standards.
At the same time, in the workplace, they are regularly subjected to insults, threats, harassment and even rape – and the alleged rapists most often go unpunished. Often such incidents end with the woman and her family being simply paid off. In some cases (most often during pregnancy), the victims' parents force them to marry the rapists in order to avoid “shame”.
The products of the plantations, where such orders reign, are actively used in production by many Western brands – palm oil from these suppliers. The list includes well-known firms such as L'Oréal, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Avon and Johnson & Johnson.
Malaysia and Indonesia are the largest suppliers of palm oil, accounting for a significant percentage of their exports. In September, it was reported that in the context of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, Malaysian manufacturers began to use prison labor.
