The plight of Oliver Twist isn’t just the stuff of fiction. According to The Observer, Gap Inc. contracted with an Indian supplier that used and abused children as young as ten.

Gap condemned the practice and pledged to cease production and sales of the garments in question, but regulating sweatshop labor has been a struggle for the retail giant and the retail industry at large since the mid-1990s.

“We’ve been very aggressive and companies like Gap have actually been the leaders in this issue,” Nate Herman of the American Apparel and Footwear Association told WoW. “We have a vested interest in making sure that the apparel and footwear that’s produced under our brands is produced in a socially responsible manner.”

Although the United States prohibits the importation of goods produced by slave or forced labor, enforcement is often difficult and punitive pullouts can have devastating effects on local economies. “When you leave the factory you leave hundreds if not thousands of people out of work over night and in many of these countries, workers are the sole source of income for the entire family,” said Herman.

Instead, companies strive for compliance through independent inspections, worker interviews, and education on the benefits of good labor practices. They also partner with non-governmental organizations like World Vision to remove children from factories, enroll them in school, and improve factory conditions and employment opportunities for local populations.

Still, child labor is increasing. David Schilling, a Program Director at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, told WoW, “The emergence of modern slavery is happening not just because a company is outsourcing to India but [because of]the poverty issues, the cheapening of human labor, organized rings that benefit from purchase and selling of human beings. … This seems like the 18^th century but it’s happening today.”