Often some global figure is used with this argument. This is in fact a useless figure, because no value could justify changing the rules in one country based on women's disadvantage in another. Increasing affirmative action in Australia is unlikely to help an impoverished woman working in an Asian sweatshop. The fact that group A are bad to group B does not justify forcing group C to give subsidies to group D.

Sometimes figures are quoted for Australia. If this were true it would create opportunities for others. If there were 30,000 women working in Australian sweatshops for less that $1 per hour, then anyone could set up another slightly-less-sweaty-shop, double the women's wages, and make an enormous profit. They could distribute these profits to the workers or use them to educate people about the glories of feminism.

For some reason educated middle-class feminists employed in cushy government jobs are not usually keen on such a liberating and profitable career change.