On the 20th and 21st September, 2024, we hosted the first edition of Protect and Serve: The International Conference on Product Safety and Consumer Advocacy. This conference was hosted by Dr. D.Y.Patil Law College, The Safety Chic and Ramakrishna Law Firm and Research Center. The conference featured 4 technical sessions, 3 special guests, several moderators, chairpersons, judges and 7 keynote speakers from the academia, multilateral agencies, government institutions and the private sector. These global speakers came from 7 countries. The technical sessions were categorised around three major areas:
– Guardians of Growth: Advancing Safety Standards for Children’s Products
– Securing the Future: Enhancing Product Safety in the Digital Realm
– Green Guard: Integrating Sustainability with Product Safety
– And a special session on Food supplements safety and regulatory frameworks

The conference also featured brilliant presentations from our participants on variations of these themes and our amazing judges picked the following winners who won cash gifts.
1. First Best Paper: “A Critical Perspective on the Tole of Social Media Influencers in product Safety and Consumer Protection’ by Dr. Thippeswamy, Assistant Professor, Sidhartha law College
2. Second Best Paper: “Assessing the Impact of Microplastics in Food: A Comparative Legal Analysis of India and Global Standards” by Ms. Shivani Dutta, Assistant Professor, Sol Dayananda Sagar University and Mr. Sanjay Utagi, Assistant Professor, Sol Dayananda Sagar University
3. Best Oral Presentation: “Product Safety in E-Commerce: A Consumer Protection Perspective” by Dr. Jehirul Islam, Associate Professor, School of Legal Studies, Central University of Kashmir

After listening to all sessions at this international conference, here are our top resolutions and recommendations.
1. International cooperation and collaboration is critical because consumer protection cannot be done in silos. A worldwide, collaborative effort would allow different countries to share and learn from best practices. To achieve this:
– Product Safety Clauses should be included in Trade Agreements. Embedding product safety requirements into international trade agreements, holds all parties accountable for adhering to stringent safety standards. This will ensure the safety of goods exchanged globally.
– Cross-Border Consumer Protection Networks should be established. Networks of consumer protection agencies should be created across borders to monitor and enforce product safety globally. This will enhance coordination and quick action against unsafe products sold internationally.
– Harmonization of product safety standards and regulations globally will ensure effective consumer protection and safety in a digital world. This ensures that internationally traded goods meet the highest global safety standards. This will facilitate safer global trade and consumer protection.

2. Establishment of a Global Children’s Product Safety Standard and advertising regulations. A globally recognized safety standard for children’s products should be developed, ensuring rigorous testing and certification of products before market entry. This will help prevent unsafe products from reaching vulnerable consumers. There must also be widespread campaigns to educate parents on identifying safe products for their children. These campaigns should focus on clear labeling, potential risks, and informed decision-making. Introduce regulations to prevent targeted advertising of unsafe or unapproved products to minors. Strict measures should be in place to monitor and block inappropriate ads.

3. Consumer rights awareness is crucial. Training of consumers is important across levels starting from schools and expanding it to adults. The media should be a partner and enabler for awareness and feedback

4. Regulation of E-Commerce Platforms for Product Safety. To ensure digital transparency, e-commerce platforms should provide comprehensive and clear safety information for all products, including origin, certification, and test results. This transparency will empower consumers to make safer purchasing decisions. Vetting is also important otherwise, the e-commerce platform can be held accountable for any unsafe products sold through their listings

5. Incorporation of Sustainability into Product Safety and consumer protection. We achieve this through:
– Product safety regulations that include sustainability metrics to ensure products are both safe for consumers and environmentally friendly. This sustainability must be integrated in every stage of a product’s life cycle. This integration will promote long-term consumer and environmental well-being.
– Development of a Green Product Certification System. This will be a certification process for products that meet both safety and environmental sustainability standards. This system will help consumers identify eco-friendly and safe products easily.

6. Amplify product safety guidelines and measures for manufacturers across key areas such as:
– Promoting Circular Economy Practices for Manufacturers. Manufacturers should be encouraged to adopt circular economy practices, where products are designed for reuse, recycling, or composting. This will minimize environmental impact and promote sustainable production.
– Enforcing stricter Penalties for Violations of Safety Standards. There should be significant financial and legal penalties for companies that fail to meet product safety standards, with particular emphasis on repeat offenders. This will deter manufacturers from compromising consumer safety for profit.
– Introducing a Mandatory Safety Pledge for Manufacturers. Manufacturers should be required to sign a binding safety pledge, committing to uphold high safety standards in product development and distribution. Non-compliance with this pledge should carry legal consequences.

7. Implement good practice of Annual Public Safety Reporting. Companies should be required to publish annual safety reports, detailing their safety measures, recalls, and compliance with regulations. These reports will foster greater accountability and transparency in product safety practices. Companies that violate safety standards should be required to publicly disclose their failures and outline the corrective actions taken. This will promote transparency and consumer confidence.

8. Regulate AI and IoT Products for Safety. Establish safety regulations for AI and IoT devices, ensuring they undergo rigorous testing for security, privacy, and operational safety. These products should meet high standards to protect consumers from risks.

9. Strengthen Consumer Data Protection Laws to safeguard consumers’ personal information, particularly in the digital economy. Penalties should be imposed for companies that fail to protect user data or misuse it.

10. Promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Product Safety. We must encourage businesses to incorporate product safety into their CSR strategies, ensuring consumer protection is a priority. This will help build public trust and long-term brand loyalty.

We look forward to individuals, organizations and institutions integrating these resolutions and recommendations in their work.

The goal of this data story is to highlight the trend of unintentional injuries leading to the deaths of black children in the US. The insights derived from this data can shape the focus of safety education campaigns in predominantly black communities in the US in order to reduce the incidences of deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), accidents, also known as unintentional injury, is the leading cause of death in children below 14. Over the past few years, I have developed safety education products and programs to teach African children how to stay safe from unintentional injuries. Since coming to NYU and doing some research in the US, I have seen that there is a similar trend of unintentional injuries, but the injury mechanism leading to deaths varies by race and sex. Therefore, I decided to use the drill-down type of data story to zoom into the black community and highlight key insights that can guide a safety education campaign in partnership with relevant government agencies.

To generate this data, I wanted to see an overview of deaths arising from unintentional injury in the US across different age groups. The NCHS – Potentially Excess Deaths From the Five Leading Causes of Death provided an initial view of the death rates across different States in the US. In order to zoom into the injuries affecting children across races, I used the NCHS – Injury Mortality: United States dataset. Using a combination of these datasets, I was able to see data for all unintentional injuries across age groups. I was able to drill down to the injuries as they affected Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, and non-Hispanic black children. These datasets also identified the different injury mechanisms and the intent across different sexes. This was valuable information because I could see how a particular injury affected males and females differently.

In the first story point, I used a map to highlight locations, and then I leveraged hue to signify the intensity of deaths across each state. In the bar chart below, I also leveraged hue to depict intensity or lack of it. The bar chart was flipped to the side in accordance with best practices when using a bar chart. The axes were labeled to call attention to the race and numbers involved. In the second story point, bar charts and the same colors were used, however, the size of the two bar charts vary to call attention to the fact that they are not exactly the same even though it’s the same chart type and color. In the bar chart below, there is a filter to see the differences in unintentional injury by sex. For example, while black males experience death by drowning at 650 per 100,000, black females experience death by drowning at 250 per 100,000. Could it be that more black males face peer pressure to swim even though they know they do not have the skill?

Furthermore, the third story point focuses on the top 3 unintentional injuries leading to the deaths of black children. I used a line chart and color to show the top 3 unintentional injuries. The axes are also labeled to call attention to the injury mechanism and the number of deaths associated with it. There is also a color key to differentiate each injury mechanism. In the final story point, I used a line chart and colors to show the trend of these deaths over 15 years. The line charts side by side are used to call attention to the fact that whilst deaths by drowning and fire-related causes are declining, deaths by suffocation keep going up. Color is used to differentiate each injury mechanism.

Based on these data, it is important for relevant US agencies to revisit their strategies for reducing suffocation affecting black children to ensure that the numbers decline over time. Whilst progress has been made in reducing deaths per 100,000 arising from drowning and fire-related causes, there is still more work to be done to bring it down significantly.

I firmly believe that there is a lot of ground to cover on unintentional injuries affecting children and their relationship to health and safety in the wider population. This is why safety education is really important to me. Grateful to the New York University (NYU) Wagner Review for publishing my research. Read the research here

In today’s digital age, technology has connected us like never before, allowing for instant communication and sharing of content. However, this interconnectedness has also led to an alarming rise in image-based sexual abuse, commonly known as “revenge porn” or “non-consensual pornography.” This deplorable act involves the distribution or sharing of explicit images or videos without the subject’s consent, leading to severe emotional distress, reputational damage, and violation of privacy.  We will explore the growing issue of image-based sexual abuse, its devastating impact, and essential strategies to prevent and respond to such incidents effectively in this post.

 Image-Based Sexual Abuse-What does it really mean?

Image-based sexual abuse is a form of online harassment and exploitation that unequally affects women and marginalized communities. Perpetrators often seek to humiliate, control, or seek revenge against their victims by leveraging intimate images or videos shared in confidence. Unfortunately, once these explicit materials are online, they can rapidly spread across various platforms and have long-lasting repercussions for the victims.

Prevention Strategies

Education and Awareness: One of the most critical steps in preventing image-based sexual abuse is to educate individuals about the risks and consequences. School curriculums, workshops, and public awareness campaigns should highlight the importance of respecting privacy, consent, and digital boundaries.

Digital Literacy: Encouraging digital literacy and responsible online behavior can empower individuals to protect their personal information and avoid risky online activities that could lead to exploitation.

Stronger Legislation: Governments should enact comprehensive legislation to address image-based sexual abuse and establish clear guidelines for prosecuting offenders. Creating laws that hold platforms accountable for hosting non-consensual pornography can act as a powerful deterrent.

Reporting Mechanisms: Online platforms and social media networks must develop user-friendly reporting mechanisms to promptly address cases of image-based sexual abuse. Encouraging a culture of reporting can help take down explicit content swiftly.

Safeguarding Personal Content: Individuals should be mindful of what they share online and consider using privacy settings on social media platforms. Avoiding sharing explicit content altogether can drastically reduce the risk of it being misused.

How do you respond to Image-Based Sexual Abuse?

Support and Empathy: Victims of image-based sexual abuse, who will be referred to as Survivors in this post, often face emotional trauma and isolation. Building a supportive environment where they feel safe to seek help is crucial. Friends, family, and professionals should offer empathy and understanding.

Legal Assistance: Survivors should be informed about their legal rights and offered assistance in pursuing legal action against the perpetrators. Many countries have laws specifically targeting non-consensual pornography. In Nigeria, we have some laws which seek to protect and seek justice for survivors, but we need much more to ensure perpetrators are discouraged from such acts. Some legal remedies may include restraining orders and compensation for damages.

Online Content Removal: Immediate removal of explicit content from websites and social media platforms is essential. Survivors should report the content to the respective platforms and work with support organizations experienced in content takedown procedures.

Counseling and Mental Health Services: Professional counseling and mental health support can aid Survivors in coping with the emotional aftermath of image-based sexual abuse. Rehabilitation and healing are vital components of the recovery process.

In conclusion, Image-based sexual abuse is a grave violation of privacy and personal dignity that demands collective action. By fostering digital literacy, enforcing stronger legislation, and offering robust support systems, we can work towards preventing these incidents and providing much-needed help to the Survivors. In a world where technology connects us, let us strive to ensure that it never becomes a tool for exploitation and abuse. Let us unite to create a safer and more empathetic digital space for everyone.

Thank you to Techsocietal for inviting us to this informative workshop.

The Keynote Speaker at the Summit, Dr Ulrike Bollman, Head of International Cooperation, DGUV, Germany shared the strategic plan of the European Network of Education and Training in Occupational Health and Safety (ENETOSH) toward achieving the aim of integrating safety education for children. Dr. Bollman highlighted three fields of action for making safety an integral part of schools: school development, teaching development, and organizational development. She concluded her session with six factors and three principles for a strategic approach. The six factors are language, goals, cooperation, multi-level approach, participation, and resources. Competence Orientation, School Development Approach, and Holistic Prevention are the three principles upon which strategic implementation of safety should be done in schools.

The Summit featured an enlightened panel session with speakers such as Rotimi Eyitayo, Dr Abdoulaye Diallo, Abiola Sanusi, Dr Bisi Esuruoso, and Alpha Djalon. The panelists shared very practical tips and resources with the audience such as the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence Free Schools and  Minimum Standards of Safe Schools.

See pictures from the Summit.