*Disclaimer: This article was written by a guest for Happily Made
Ever came across an ad with a hungry child or a one similar to the ad above? This is what is defined as poverty porn– when companies use photos, videos or messages exploit the poor’s suffering to generate sympathy and trigger the audience’s emotions to sell its products or gain charity donations.
The reason why poverty porn is a huge ethical problem and why Happily Made does not condone portraying the women they support in a negative light is because they want to stop the perpetuation of white savior complex. More often than not, poverty porn campaigns feature white people coming to the aid of poor non-white communities, where the privileged white person ends up being portrayed as a hero and praised for their “philanthropic” efforts. This sends out a problematic message that only money from the west can save these people. Not only so, the images and videos taken are often taken and shared without the consent of the subjects and often displays them at their most vulnerable moments.
While it’s not to say that every white person who offers their help to the poor has no good intention, or that privileged charity organisers and businesses do not want to make a positive impact. What I’m saying is, there are better ways to do it without trivializing or exploiting the lives of others to boost “sales”. The reason why I am writing this is because I feel the responsibility to educate consumers to make informed choices when shopping for “ethically” branded goods or when supporting a charity.
As an ethical business, Happily Made’s promise is to avoid engaging in such exploitative behaviours nor use emotional marketing to get customers to purchase their goods. They believe that the craftsmanship and quality of their products can speak for themselves and have built a community of loyal supporters who believe in and support the women who create their beautiful gifts over the years.
The Cambodian women that Happily Made works with are more than just their socio-economic backgrounds. These strong, independent women deserve to be portrayed in a positive and respectful way. I hope this article would help you make better informed choices as a consumer and help spread awareness on this challenging and confronting topic.
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