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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:59 pm
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Results for child labor
63 results foundAuthor: International Labour Organization Title: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Belize Summary: This study on the commercial sexual exploitation of children is intended as one of the many effects aimed at the continued strengthening of the child protection responses. It helps us to better understand the manifestation of the issue in Belize, both in its old forms and its emerging ones, and it also helps us to see it through the new lens of being one of the worst forms of child labor being experienced by children globally. Details: San Jose, Costa Rica: International Labour Office, 2006. 163p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Costa Rica URL: Shelf Number: 117717 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sexual AbuseSex Trafficking |
Author: Hatley, Anne Title: Identification of Street Children: Characteristics of Street Children in Bamako and Accra Summary: This report presents the results of a quantitative study of the street children population in two West African cities: Bamako in Mali and Accra in Ghana. The main aim of the study was to develop methodologies for difficult to reach populations, with an additional aim of giving characteristics of the population group chosen. Details: Oslo: Fafo, 2005. 94p. Source: Fafo-report 174 Year: 2005 Country: Africa URL: Shelf Number: 116372 Keywords: Child LaborHuman TraffickingStreet Children |
Author: Smucker, Glenn R. Title: The Uses of Children: A Study of Trafficking in Haitian Chidlren Summary: This study documents a series of insidious forms of child abuse affecting Haitian children in their own country and in the neighboring Dominican Republic. It presents evidence of trafficking within Haiti and across the border. Details: Port-au-Prince, Haiti: USAID/Haiti Mission, 2004. 166p. Source: Year: 2004 Country: Haiti URL: Shelf Number: 111165 Keywords: Child LaborHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Dottridge, Mike Title: Kids Abroad: Ignore Them, Abuse Them or Protect Them? Lessons on How to Protect Children on the Move from Being Exploited Summary: This study focuses on the experience of young people who leave home or travel abroad to seek work or a better life and also on children who are sent away from home by their parents. It explores initiatives which have had the effect of reducing the likelihood that such children will be subjected to economic or sexual exploitation. It sets out to go beyond identifying the vulnerable situations faced by such children, by examining what techniques have proved helpful to children who move away from their families. Details: Geneva: Terre des Hommes International Federation, 2008. 88p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 113296 Keywords: Child LaborHuman TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Asia Against Child Trafficking (Organization) Title: Protecting the Rights and Dignity of the Trafficked Children in South East Asia Summary: This report presents some minimum standards to protect the rights of trafficked children in South Asia. The report contains three main documents: Proposed guidelines for the protection of the rights of trafficked children in South Asia; Proposed ASEAN guidelines for the protection of the rights of trafficked children in South East Asia; and a comparative analysis and explanatory notes that includes some related experiences and examples in relation to specific provisions gathered from different sources. Details: Manila: Asia ACTs Against Child Trafficking, 2007. 127p. Source: Year: 2007 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 113386 Keywords: Child LaborChildren, Crimes AgainstHuman Trafficking (Children) |
Author: Delap, Emily Title: Begging for Change: Research Findings and Recommendations on Forced Child Begging in Albania/Greece, India and Senegal Summary: This report explores the issue of forced child begging both in its local specifics and global commonalities. Forced child begging involves forcing boys and girls to beg through physical or psychological coercion. Forced child begging offers an important focus for the struggle for children's rights in that it represents one of the most extreme forms of exploitation of children in the world today. The research shows that children may be forced to beg by their parents or guardians. Others are exploited in this way by third parties, including cases of children trafficked into begging by informal networks or organized criminal gangs. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2009. 33p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 114862 Keywords: BeggingChild ExploitationChild LaborChild TraffickingChildren, Crimes AgainstOrganized Crime |
Author: Kaye, Mike Title: Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Argentina Summary: This report provides information and anlaysis in relation to slavery practices in Argentina, with a particular focus on trafficking of people for both labor and sexual exploitaton and commercial sexual exploitation of children. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2006. 17p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Argentina URL: Shelf Number: 118400 Keywords: Child LaborChild ProstitutionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationHuman Trafficking (Argentina) |
Author: Sharma, Bhavna Title: Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Bolivia Summary: This report provides information and analysis in relation to slavery practices in Bolivia, with a particular focus on forced labor and worst forms of child labor in the sugar, nut and mining industries and on private ranches. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2006. 20p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Bolivia URL: Shelf Number: 118402 Keywords: Child Labor |
Author: Sharma, Bhavna Title: Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Brazil Summary: This report provides information and analysis in relation to slavery practices in Brazil, with a particular focus on forced labor in the Amazon, trafficking of people for the labor and sexual exploitation, and child domestic work. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2006. 17p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Brazil URL: Shelf Number: 118365 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sexual Exploitation (Brazil)Human TraffickingSexual Violence |
Author: Kaye, Mike Title: Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Uruguay Summary: This report provides information and analysis in relation to slavery practices in Uruguay, with a particular focus on the commerical sexual exploitation of children, the worst forms of child labor, and trafficking of people. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2006. 11p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Uruguay URL: Shelf Number: 118404 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sexual ExploitationHuman Trafficking (Uruguay)Prostitution |
Author: Cambodia. Provincial Department of Social Affairs, Labour, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation Title: Destination Thailand: A Cross-Labor Migration Survey in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia Summary: The main purpose of the labor migration survey was to provide insights and background information about the current situation and, as much as possible, provide some indication on the trafficking of children and women within the labor migration framework internally and across the border with Thailand. The data is meant to inform policy and program development on labor migration managment and trafficking prevention efforts at the local as well as at the subregional levels. Details: Bangkok: International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, International Labour Office Bangkok, 2005. 87p. Source: Internet Resource; The Mekong Challenge Year: 2005 Country: Cambodia URL: Shelf Number: 117671 Keywords: Child LaborChild TraffickingForced LaborHuman TraffickingMigration |
Author: Wells, Matthew Title: Off the Backs of the Children: Forced Begging and other Abuse Against Talibes in Senegal Summary: Tens of thousand of children attending residential Quranic schools, or daaras, in Senegal are subjected to conditions that meet the international definition of being akin to slavery, and are forced to endure often extreme forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation by the teachers, or marabouts, who serve as their de facto quardians. The vast majority of these children, known as talibes, are under 12 years old, though many are as young as four. Many teachers force the children to beg on the streets for long hours - a practice that meets the international definition of a worst form of child labor. This report concludes that without state regulation and a commitment to hold accountable those that abuse and exploit these boys, the widespread problem of forced child begging in Senegal will worsen. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 102p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Senegal URL: Shelf Number: 119178 Keywords: Child AbuseChild Begging (Senegal)Child LaborChild Maltreatment |
Author: National Research Council Title: Approaches to Reducing the Use of Forced or Child Labor Summary: In response to provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection and Reauthorization Act, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs contracted with the National Research Council to organize a two-day workshop on a framework for assessing practices designed to reduce the use of child and forced labor in supply chains that produce goods imported into the United States. This report presents a summary of the workshop. Details: Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2009. 131p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 117600 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman Trafficking |
Author: International Labour Office Title: Combating Trafficking in Children for Labour Exploitation: A Resource Kit for Policy-Makers and Practitioners Summary: This resource kit presents a series of booklets designed to enable policy-makers and practitioners to design, implement and improve policy and programming to fight child trafficking. The resource kit is composed of five independent, but interrelated books that each cover a particular set of themes: Book 1 is designed to help users to understand human trafficking, particularly trafficking that involves children (people under the age of 18 years); Book 2 is about acquiring knowledge prior to designing responses to child trafficking; Book 3 is about building a legal and policy framework within which to address trafficking, and also pays attention to mobilization and building of partnerships; Book 4 is about the actual remedial action to address child trafficking and provides insight into the initiatives that have been and can be taken to prevent such trafficking, protect children from becoming victims of trafficking, respond where trafficking exists and provide support and services to those who have been trafficked; Book 5 is about effective processes that may contribute to effective remedial action, and highlights amongst others the value of child participation, monitoring and documentation of learning. Details: Geneva: ILO, 2008. 222p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 117315 Keywords: Child LaborChild TraffickingChildren, Crimes AgainstHuman Trafficking |
Author: United Nations Children's Fund, Innocenti Research Centre Title: South Asia in Action: Preventing and Responding to Child Trafficking: Analysis of Anti-Trafficking Initiatives in the Region Summary: This report presents an analysis of anti-trafficking initiatives related to children in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangaladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. South Asian children continue to be trafficked for multiple forms of sexual exploitation – including prostitution, sex tourism, child pornography, paedophilia - and labour exploitation in agriculture, factories, domestic servitude and begging, forced marriage, adoption, military recruitment and debt release. The report includes several examples of laws and policies that could be enacted to prevent children from being trafficked and to protect children once they have been trafficked. Details: Florence, Italy: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2009. 70p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 8, 2010 at http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/ii_ct_southasia_analysis.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Asia URL: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/ii_ct_southasia_analysis.pdf Shelf Number: 117638 Keywords: Child LaborChild PornographyChild ProstitutionChild TraffickingForced MarriageHuman TraffickingSex Tourism |
Author: Ahmed, Yasmine M. Title: An Exploratory Study on Child Domestic Workers in Egypt Summary: In Egypt, an estimated 2 to 2.5 million children between the ages of 6-15 are working as street vendors, agricultural labourers, factory workers, laundry workers and helpers for mechanics, with the vast majority (83%) working in rural areas. This exploratory study The provides first-hand baseline data on employers of child domestic workers, former and current child domestic workers and their families. It reveals the opinions of children, employers, recruiters and families who are impacted by child domestic labour. Details: Geneva: Terre des hommes, Centre of Migration; Cairo: Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, 2010. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Egypt URL: Shelf Number: 115398 Keywords: Child LaborChild Maltreatment |
Author: ECPAT International Title: Guide for National Planning: To Prevent, Stop and Redress Violations of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Summary: Commercial sexual exploitation of children – often referred to as CSEC – is prevalent throughout the world. It consists of criminal practices that demean and threaten the physical and psychological integrity of children. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is manifested primarily through child prostitution and child sex tourism, child pornography, and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes, as well as through such channels as child marriage, domestic servitude and bonded labour. With the increasing ease of travel, new information technologies and rising migration and displacement, a concerted global effort is necessary to ensure that all children are protected, regardless of their geographic or economic circumstance. Where they are comprehensive, National Plans of Action remain the best instrument to be used against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. They provide a national vision for combating CSEC issues and ensure that the care and protection of children remains a national priority over a lasting period of time, constantly reviewed and improved through adequate monitoring and supported with appropriate resources. A National Plan enables civil society to identify what should be done, what is being done and what can be done for children; it challenges governments to tangibly live up to the international commitments they have made to protect the rights of children everywhere. This Methodological Guide is designed to work as a tool for countries that intend to develop National Plans of Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Specifically this guide provides: Information on setting up the stage to prepare for the drafting of an effective NPA through detailed background research and specific data collection; Description of the key partners to be involved in the National Plan of Action development to ensure its effective implementation; A methodology for the formulation of a National Plan of Action to combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children; Practical recommendations based on the experiences of countries that have developed National Plans of Action; and Examples of strategic national frameworks for eradicating the sexual exploitation of children around the world. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International, 2009. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 1, 2010 at: http://www.ecpat.net/EI/Publications/Global_Action/NPA_GUIDE_Layout.pdf Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.ecpat.net/EI/Publications/Global_Action/NPA_GUIDE_Layout.pdf Shelf Number: 119720 Keywords: Child LaborChild PornographyChild ProstitutionChild Sex TourismChild Trafficking |
Author: United Nations. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Title: Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking Summary: Over the past decade, human trafficking has moved from the margins to the mainstream of international concern. During this period we have witnessed the rapid development of a comprehensive legal framework that comprises international and regional treaties, as well as a broad range of soft-law instruments relating to trafficking. These changes confirm that a fundamental shift has taken place in how the international community thinks about human exploitation. It also confirms a change in our expectations of what Governments and others should be doing to deal with trafficking and to prevent it. On a very practical level, a human rights-based approach to trafficking requires an acknowledgement that trafficking is, first and foremost, a violation of human rights. Trafficking and the practices with which it is associated, including slavery, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced labour, debt bondage and forced marriage, are themselves violations of the basic human rights to which all persons are entitled. Trafficking disproportionately affects those whose rights may already be seriously compromised, including women, children, migrants, refugees and persons with disabilities. A human rights approach to trafficking also demands that we acknowledge the responsibility of Governments to protect and promote the rights of all persons within their jurisdiction, including non-citizens. This responsibility translates into a legal obligation on Governments to work towards eliminating trafficking and related exploitation. A human rights approach to trafficking means that all those involved in anti-trafficking efforts should integrate human rights into their analysis of the problem and into their responses. This approach requires us to consider, at each and every stage, the impact that a law, policy, practice or measure may have on persons who have been trafficked and persons who are vulnerable to being trafficked. It means rejecting responses that compromise rights and freedoms. This is the only way to retain a focus on the trafficked persons: to ensure that trafficking is not simply reduced to a problem of migration, a problem of public order or a problem of organized crime. Details: New York and Geneva: United Nations, 2010. 255p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2011 at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Commentary_Human_Trafficking_en.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Commentary_Human_Trafficking_en.pdf Shelf Number: 120718 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborForced MarriageHuman RightsHuman TraffickingOrganized CrimeSexual Exploitation |
Author: Dottridge, Mike Title: Child Labour Today Summary: This report, the third in the series, exposes the exploitation of children as workers. Tens of millions of children around the world today work long hours from very young ages. Some are even recruited as cannon fodder for political causes, or are treated as sex toys. Here we explain the nature and scale of the problem and the growing international concern to eradicate the worst abuses. The report describes cases from around the world of children who start work instead of attending school, of those whose lives are endangered by their work, and of children who are treated as if they were items to be bought or sold, rather than as human beings. It also brings the picture closer to home and looks at the exploitation of children at work in the United Kingdom. It reports on the experiences of professionals involved in the field, and the opinions of British children themselves, gathered in a unique survey. The report also reveals how foreign national children are brought into the UK specifically to be exploited as workers, in homes as well as restaurants, factories and farms. It looks at the serious inadequacies of the protection currently available, particularly for children brought to the UK especially to be exploited, and recommends action to be taken. This report also describes some of UNICEF’s current initiatives to advocate for the rights of the world’s 350 million child and youth workers and to protect them against abuse at work, as well as pinpointing the action needed to end the economic exploitation of children. Details: New York: UNICEF, 2005. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2011 at: http://www.unicef.es/contenidos/273/child_labour_today.pdf Year: 2005 Country: International URL: http://www.unicef.es/contenidos/273/child_labour_today.pdf Shelf Number: 117367 Keywords: Child LaborForced Labour |
Author: Robson, Paul Title: Ending Child Trafficking in West Africa: Lessons from the Ivorian Cocoa Sector Summary: This report finds that trafficking of children to cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire still occurs. The research found significant numbers of young people in Mali and Burkina Faso who had worked as children in cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire in the last five years. The practices occur in the context of large-scale movements of people within the region including the trafficking of children to other agricultural activities and to other sectors. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2010. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: http://www.antislavery.org/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/c/cocoa_report_for_website.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: http://www.antislavery.org/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/c/cocoa_report_for_website.pdf Shelf Number: 121740 Keywords: Child LaborChild MaltreatmentChild Trafficking (West Africa)Human Trafficking |
Author: Silva, Jailson de Souza Title: Brazil Children in Drug Trafficking: A Rapid Assessment Summary: The central subject of this Rapid Assessment to investigate the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) is the involvement of children in the drug trafficking business, in low-income communities, “Favelas”, in Rio de Janeiro. This study seeks to establish the variables that best explain why children enter and take part in this line of activity. The project was commissioned to the Instituto de Estudos Trabalho e Sociedade - IETS, a Brazilian NGO, recognized as a public interest organization by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice. IETS forms a network of researchers from a diverse set of Rio de Janeiro’s main academic and research institutions. The institute aims to generate and induce the generation of information relevant to the investigation of poverty and inequality and to monitor, evaluate and propose initiatives in the field of public policy, seeking its reduction. The present project compiled and organized data concerning living standards of children working in drug trafficking schemes in several low-income communities in Rio de Janeiro. A workshop bringing together researchers, people active and interested in the field and representatives of grass-roots organizations who work in low-income areas was also an important part of the project. This enabled an exchange of knowledge and the production of new public policy proposals that may improve the circumstances at hand. This document starts with a presentation of some general socio-economic data of Rio de Janeiro, setting the background and context in which the children live. Next it provides a synthesis of the specific labour market for children and young adults in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, with particular stress on the indicators of 52 low-income communities. The theme’s general introduction is completed by a brief review of the literature on child and youth criminality and drug trafficking. The second chapter presents the methodology used in the project. In its main body, the document presents a number of tables that organize part of the data surveyed in the project. Firstly, tables of crimes and misdemeanors committed by children and adolescents in Rio de Janeiro from 1996 to 2000 are exposed, which have been provided by the Children’s Court ( Vara de Infância e Juve ntude). Next, the profile of the children is presented. Finally, views of different actors are exposed on the reasons that lead children to, and keep them working in, drug related activities, and on measures that should be undertaken to keep children from joining the trafficking business or to help them abandon the scene. The document is concluded by a brief description of the workshop, a final analysis of the activity and policy proposals to address the problem. Details: Geneva: International Labour Organization, International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), 2002. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Investigating the Worst Forms of Child Labour No. 20: Accessed April 10, 2012 at: http://www.dreamscanbe.org/Reasearch%20Page%20Docs/Souza%20e%20Silva%20and%20Urani%20-%20Brazil%20Children%20in%20Drug%20Trafficki.pdf Year: 2002 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.dreamscanbe.org/Reasearch%20Page%20Docs/Souza%20e%20Silva%20and%20Urani%20-%20Brazil%20Children%20in%20Drug%20Trafficki.pdf Shelf Number: 124916 Keywords: Child LaborChildren as Drug TraffickersDrug Trafficking (Brazil)Juvenile OffendersPoverty |
Author: Burn, Jennifer Title: Hidden Exploitation: Women in Forced Labour, Marriage and Migration: An Evidence Review Summary: This report exposes gaps in knowledge and services relating to the labour of women in Australia. Along with an assessment of the needs, it provides suggestions for a way forward in terms of possible partnerships for developing knowledge, services and advocacy. The gaps considered include labour force, forced labour, forced migration and forced marriage. Labour Force and Forced Labour While women have over the long term been overrepresented in part-time or casual employment, the increased use of precarious forms of employment is leaving many women, especially those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds at risk. There is a need for more legal protection as well as culturally and linguistically appropriate resources for community education on rights and services. While it appears that exploitation of children through work is not happening on a significant scale in Australia, it is important that a means of keeping a national watch on this is found. There is a clear history of exploitation of Indigenous women by way of overwork or government control of work or earnings. The situation of disadvantage in work remains in place for many today. Indigenous women are overrepresented among the unemployed and discouraged workers. Through the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) many are in effect underpaid for highly skilled work and long hours. The status of CDEP participants needs to be established so that more equitable outcomes can be put in place. In Australia employment legislation and instituted monitoring and intervention via the Fair Work Act, Fair Work Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman provide protection for workers. However, those in employment other than full time, permanent work are still relatively unprotected. Improvements are needed in relation to the relevant aspects of immigration law and anti-discrimination law and the anti-trafficking legislation needs a review. In addition, services (including language resources and education) are needed to improve access to protection and legal assistance for vulnerable workers, especially Indigenous women and women from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds or CALD backgrounds. The report outlines the definitions in international and Australian laws of “people trafficking”, “slavery” and “forced labour” and makes the case for criminalising forced labour. Forced migration Migrant women as a group tend to be vulnerable to varying degrees when it comes to work, because of factors including financial stress, language, lack of education or qualifications, social isolation or child care responsibilities. Among the most vulnerable are those people on temporary work or student visas who suffer from a lack of affordable housing and poor access to information about work rights. Being without a valid visa adds another dimension. Forced marriage For foreign partners of Australian citizens, family violence may mask forced or servile marriage, so education of community workers is needed for the full protection of the women concerned. All of these situations are complex legally and culturally, so community consultation is critical and the safety of each woman needs to have priority. The many opportunities for further work include research, community consultation, awareness raising, service provision and advocacy. Details: Abbotsford, VIC: Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, 2012. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2012 at: http://www.goodshepherd.com.au/sites/default/files/files/0556%20GOOD%20SHEPHERD%20HIDDEN%20EXPLOITATION%20EXECUTIVE%20SUMMARY%20FINAL%20ONLINE%5B1%5D%5B2%5D.pdf (executive summary) Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.goodshepherd.com.au/sites/default/files/files/0556%20GOOD%20SHEPHERD%20HIDDEN%20EXPLOITATION%20EXECUTIVE%20SUMMARY%20FINAL%20ONLINE%5B1%5D%5B2%5D.pdf (executive summary) Shelf Number: 125224 Keywords: Child LaborForced Labor (Australia)Forced MarriageForced MigrationHuman TraffickingSexual ExploitationViolence Against Women |
Author: Dottridge, Mike Title: Children, Adolescents and Human Trafficking: Making Sense of a Complex Problem Summary: This Issue Paper presents current knowledge about the scope and meaning of child trafficking. Although it might seem to be a simple subject to describe, it is not. First, there is the question of what a ‘child’ is. The international definition in the Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a ‘child’ as a person under the age of 18 but, at the same time, it recognizes the evolving capacity of adolescents to engage in certain activities and make certain decisions (UN Child Rights Convention, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 2003). Additionally, there is confusion about how to distinguish between child employment, which is permissible, and child labor, which is not. Also, there is a conflict between international law and local practices because, in many countries, children routinely start to work before reaching the minimum legal age for employment set by international law. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law, American University, 2012. 21p. Source: Issue Paper 5: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2012 at http://rightswork.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Issue-Paper-5.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://rightswork.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Issue-Paper-5.pdf Shelf Number: 126025 Keywords: AdolescentsChild LaborChild TraffickingChild VictimsHuman Trafficking |
Author: Protection Project, Johns Hopkins Unviersity Title: Child Protection Model Law. Best Practices: Protection of Children from Neglect, Abuse, Maltreatment, and Exploitation Summary: In September 2009, The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies started a joint project with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to draft a Model Law on Child Protection aimed at protecting children from all forms of neglect, abuse, maltreatment, and exploitation. The project envisioned the holding of various expert group meetings globally to accompany the drafting process by identifying key issues of child protection in each region of the world and suggesting legislative solutions. The Model Law was written through six drafting stages – each version being carefully revised and expanded to reflect the discussions at the regional expert meetings. The final version of the Model Law incorporates international standards and best practices of child protection, based on the protection measures of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its two optional protocols from the year 2000, the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography (OPSC) and the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC). Over the course of the project, more than 400 national laws relating to child protection from over 150 countries were researched and analyzed to identify best practices. Details: Washington, DC: The Protection Project, The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); Alexandria, VA: The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), 2013. 253p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2013 at: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CP-Model-Law_Jan-2013_Final-w-cover.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CP-Model-Law_Jan-2013_Final-w-cover.pdf Shelf Number: 128172 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild LaborChild MaltreatmentChild Protection (International)Child Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Walts, Katherine Kaufka Title: Legal Services Assessment for Trafficked Children: Cook County, Illinois Case Study Summary: Child trafficking is one of the most disturbing human rights abuses of our time, involving cases of boys and girls exploited for labor and/or commercial sexual services. These children may suffer physical, sexual, and emotional violence at the hands of traffickers, who can be pimps, employers, and even family members. Trafficking schemes may involve various forms of force, fraud, and coercion, which can be physical and/or psychological in nature. Current research indicates that legal services are a critical component of a comprehensive service delivery model for victims of human trafficking and a realization of human rights. However, little to no effort has been made to identify the various legal needs of child trafficking victims, a particularly vulnerable population. In February 2012, the Center for the Human Rights of Children (CHRC) initiated a legal needs assessment project for child trafficking victims, using Cook County Illinois as a case study. The project identified: - Existing service providers working with both US citizen and foreign national child trafficking survivors - The legal needs of trafficked children - Current legal services available to this population - Gaps in those services in Cook County We chose Cook County as a case study for several reasons. It is the second most populous county in the nation, and houses the city of Chicago, which has been recognized as one several human trafficking hubs across the United States., Cook County has an established community of service providers and advocacy organizations working with survivors of human trafficking in various capacities, and two task forces. The project also included a preliminary assessment of legal services for child trafficking victims offered by organizations around the country as a comparison to the results of our research in Cook County. Select Findings - Child trafficking victims have various legal needs across multiple legal systems, including (but not limited to) criminal justice, juvenile justice, immigration, labor, civil, child welfare, family, and education. - While 85% of survey respondents believed access to competent legal services is critical in leading to positive outcomes for child trafficking victims, less than 10% believed that the legal needs of child trafficking victims in Cook County were being fully met. - Interdisciplinary collaboration between legal and nonlegal service providers is a critical component of any service delivery model for trafficking victims. - There are considerable systemic barriers to ensuring that child trafficking victims receive appropriate legal services and protections, including limited organizational capacity and training, financial and personnel resources, and lack of data and research: - The definition of child trafficking is confusing and sometimes controversial. Many child serving agencies are not aware of federal and/or state definitions of child trafficking. Some organizations have misconceptions about the legal statutory framework, or believe it negatively impacts their clients. This impacts identification of new cases and referrals to appropriate legal service providers. - Child trafficking cases are often very complex and resource intensive. Providing services is becoming more challenging with the narrowing of both federal and state budgets, restricting access to critical services across all sectors. - Service providers who first identify children as victims may not be equipped to identify all relevant needs (e.g., legal, psychological, social). This is true even amongst legal service providers who may specialize in a particular area of the law, and are unable to identify other legal needs. - There are no standardized mechanisms for data collection and research. Only a few organizations have begun to collect data on child trafficking. Existing data on human trafficking often does not disaggregate adults from minors. Details: Chicago: Center for the Human Rights of Children, Loyola University Chicago, 2013. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/chrc/LegalServicesAssess_TraffickedChildren_2013_CHRC_Final.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/chrc/LegalServicesAssess_TraffickedChildren_2013_CHRC_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 131615 Keywords: Child LaborChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild Sexual ExploitationChild TraffickingHuman Trafficking |
Author: International Labour Office (ILO), Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour Title: Hard to See, Harder to Count: Survey Guidelines to Estimate Forced Labour of Adults and Children Summary: ILO global estimates on child and forced labour have focused a spotlight on these persistent and severe violations of the human rights of children and adults. The magnitude of forced labour, estimated to affect at least 20.9 million people, of whom about a quarter are children, has served to demonstrate the urgency of action to address the needs of these most vulnerable workers, and prevent others from falling prey to such exploitation. But the estimates have also highlighted the critical need for sound statistics at national level. Criminal phenomena such as forced labour present obvious measurement challenges; conventional survey instruments are often ill-equipped to capture those child and adult workers concealed in hidden workshops, or toiling in fields under a burden of debt. Human trafficking can also be regarded as forced labour, and these guidelines can be used to measure the full spectrum of human trafficking abuses or what some people call "modern-day slavery". The only exceptions to this are cases of trafficking for organ removal, forced marriage or adoption, unless the latter practices result in forced labour. Action to address child labour and forced labour lies at the heart of the ILO's decent work agenda, guided by ILO standards on these subjects. The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) has, since 1992, worked to eradicate child labour in all parts of the world. In 1998, ILO member States adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, thereby committing themselves to respect, promote and realise freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, and the elimination of forced labour, child labour and discrimination at work. The International Labour Office, for its part, committed itself to assist member States in their efforts. Shortly thereafter, the Programme to Promote the Declaration was established and, in 2001, a Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour (SAP-FL) was created as part of this programme. In recent years, IPEC and SAP-FL have invested considerable effort and resources in devising and testing survey methodologies for application at country level, to allow robust national estimation of the number of adults and children in forced labour, and deeper insights into the causes and nature of these problems. This work has represented a real and rewarding collaborative effort between the ILO and the various national institutions (national statistical offices and others) which partnered with ILO for implementing the national surveys. Details: Geneva: ILO, 2012. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2014 at: http://www.aihr-resourcescenter.org/administrator/upload/documents/hard.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.aihr-resourcescenter.org/administrator/upload/documents/hard.pdf Shelf Number: 132251 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman Trafficking |
Author: Australia. Parliament. Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Title: Trading Lives: Modern Day Human Trafficking Summary: Trafficking in persons, slavery and slavery-like practices is an egregious violation of an individual's human rights. Trafficking and slavery victims are exploited physically, emotionally and mentally and the effects of this trauma can be long lasting and destructive. Trafficking in persons, slavery and slavery-like practices are some of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that between 2002 and 2011 there were over 20 million victims of forced labour globally. In 2009, the ILO also estimated that the annual global profits from trafficked forced labourers were around US$32 million. This equates to a profit of US$13,000 for each woman, man and child trafficked into forced labour. The crimes of trafficking in persons, slavery and slavery-like practices place an additional economic burden on each country. Funding is provided for resources devoted to its prevention, the treatment and support of victims and the apprehension and prosecution of offenders. Every country around the world is affected, including Australia. Since 2004 the Australian Federal Police have undertaken more than 375 investigations and assessments into allegations of trafficking in persons, slavery and slavery-like practices. 209 suspected victims of trafficking in persons and slavery were provided government support through the Support for Trafficked People Program, and there have now been 17 convictions for slavery, slavery-like and trafficking in persons offences. The Committee acknowledges the steps taken by the Government to strengthen Australia's criminal justice framework, establishing additional offences of forced marriage, forced labour, organ trafficking and harbouring a victim in the Criminal Code. Australia has an opportunity to maximise its effectiveness by implementing a suite of mechanisms and tools to combat these crimes and increase support for its victims at the national and international level. Details: Canberra: Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 2013. 157p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2014 at: http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=jfadt/slavery_people_trafficking/report.htm Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=jfadt/slavery_people_trafficking/report.htm Shelf Number: 129905 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman Trafficking (Australia) |
Author: Pereznieto, Paola Title: The costs and economic impact of violence against children Summary: This briefing paper presents the main findings of a report commissioned by ChildFund Alliance, exploring the economic impacts and costs of violence against children. It presents a summary of the available evidence from different countries and provides some estimates of the global costs of violence and exploitation against children. The briefing discusses government spending to prevent and respond to violence against children as well as good preventive practices. It also provides some policy recommendations. In summary, this report finds that there are significant costs for individuals, communities, governments and economies from the different forms of violence against children. In the case of global costs resulting from physical, psychological and sexual violence, these costs can be as high as 8% of global GDP. Considering other forms of violence, such as children's involvement in hazardous work, the global costs are estimated to be $97 billion every year, which is equivalent to seven times Iceland's 2013 GDP. The economic impact of another form of violence against children - that of children associated with armed forces or groups - has been estimated to be $144 million annually. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, 2014. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 24, 2014 at: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9177.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9177.pdf Shelf Number: 133815 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ExploitationChild LaborChild Sexual AbuseCosts of CrimeViolence Against Children (International) |
Author: Verite Title: Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal and Corporate Supply Chains Summary: More than twenty million men, women and children around the world are currently believed to be victims of human trafficking, a global criminal industry estimated to be worth $150.2 billion annually. As defined in the US Department of State's 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), the terms "trafficking in persons" and "human trafficking" refer broadly to "the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion," irrespective of whether the person has been moved from one location to another. Trafficking in persons includes practices such as coerced sex work by adults or children, forced labor, bonded labor or debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Many different factors indicate that an individual may be in a situation of trafficking. Among the most clear-cut indicators are the experience of coercive or deceptive recruitment, restricted freedom of movement, retention of identity documents by employers, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions, forced overtime, isolation, and physical or sexual violence. The United States Government is broadly committed to combating trafficking in persons, as guided by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, and the UN Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. In September 2012, the United States took an unprecedented step in the fight against human trafficking with the release of a presidential executive order (EO) entitled "Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts." In issuing this EO, the White House acknowledged that "as the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, the US Government has a responsibility to combat human trafficking at home and abroad, and to ensure American tax dollars do not contribute to this affront to human dignity." The EO prohibits human trafficking activities not just by federal prime contractors, but also by their employees, subcontractors, and subcontractor employees. Subsequent amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DFARS) in the wake of the EO will affect a broad range of federal contracts, and will require scrutiny by prime contractors of subcontractor labor practices to a degree that has not previously been commonplace. Top level contractors will now need to look actively at the labor practices of their subcontractors and suppliers, and to consider the labor involved in production of inputs even at the lowest tiers of their supply chains. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2015. 152p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2015 at: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/237137.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/237137.pdf Shelf Number: 134508 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Labor PracticesOrganized CrimeSupply Chains |
Author: Kelly, Jocelyn Title: Assessment of Human Trafficking in Artisanal Mining Towns in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Summary: Human trafficking is a fundamental violation of human rights. In conflict and post-conflict situations, people may be more vulnerable to trafficking due to high levels of exploitation and violence, weak civilian protection mechanisms, displacement, and a breakdown in social cohesion. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been embroiled in violence since 1996, when violence from the Rwandan genocide sparked conflict across the border in the eastern provinces of Congo. Dozens of armed groups with shifting allegiances, motivations, and identities have preyed upon civilian communities, perpetrating a wide array of human rights abuses. Over the decades of violence, millions of civilians have died, making Congolese conflict the deadliest since World War II. In recent years, the artisanal mining sector in eastern Congo has gained a great deal of international attention for the role it has played in fueling the conflict by providing rebel groups with a source of income. Recognition of this dynamic has raised concerns that these mining communities are also home to some of the worst human rights abuses as different powerful actors vie for control of these profitable areas. Hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions1 of artisanal miners and their families rely on mining for their livelihood. Driven by extreme poverty with limited economic alternatives, these miners accept extreme working conditions. The environment is further complicated by poor governance, poor regulatory oversight, and widespread corruption; conditions that are conducive to labor and sexual trafficking. The United Nations and a number of advocacy groups have described different forms human trafficking in these areas. The 2014 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report calls particular attention to trafficking in persons in the artisanal mining sector. Despite this recognition, systematic quantitative evidence about the type and scale of human trafficking in Congolese mines is lacking. This project attempts to provide an empirically-based understanding of the nature and scale of labor and sex trafficking of men, women and children in artisanal mining sites in South Kivu and North Katanga. It then aims to use this information to identify recommendations for the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) programmatic interventions. Fundamental to the understanding of the scope of human trafficking in this context is clearly defining who a trafficked person is. Broad categories of human trafficking include: forced labor; debt bondage; sex trafficking; forced child labor and child sex trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) defines the most severe forms of human trafficking as: - Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or - The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Systematic empirical evidence about the type and scale of human trafficking in DRC mines is lacking. Many of the assertions cited by domestic and international groups are based on anecdotal evidence that seek out specific instances of trafficking in persons (TIP). Despite the important body of work aimed at documenting the issues of trafficking in the artisanal mining sector, the established narrative is undermined by the absence of data on the prevalence, patterns, and causes of trafficking. It is therefore difficult to identify which types of interventions are most needed, and what the most pivotal points of entry are for programming to combat TIP. This assessment therefore seeks to fulfill the need for an empirical inquiry using quantitative research methods. The objectives of this work are to: 1) provide an empirically-based understanding of the nature and scale of labor and sex trafficking of men, women and children in eastern DRC mining communities; 2) identify recommendations for USAID programmatic interventions; and 3) recommend evaluation activities and research questions related to the recommended programmatic interventions. This initial version of the assessment addresses the first point and aims to serve as a basis for further discussion about recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2014. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2015 at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00K5R1.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Congo, Democratic Republic URL: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00K5R1.pdf Shelf Number: 134565 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sex TraffickingForced LaborHuman Trafficking (Democratic Republic of the CongMining CommunitiesSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Strehl, Talinay Title: Street-Working and Street-Living Children in Peru:Conditions and Current Interventions Summary: The 1990s witnessed serious interest from Peruvian NGOs in the issue of street children and, as a result, many street child welfare services were initiated, especially in Lima. However, since that time the interest has once again waned, even though the problem has not decreased. In recent years, hardly any anthropological research with street children has been done in Peru. Although GOs and NGOs have a lot of relevant knowledge concerning street children, this knowledge lacks actualisation and analysis to be positively used for the formulation of policy. This research will expose the reality of street children, which will enable us to understand the relation between street children and the organisations that intervene in their name. The focus will be more on the street-living than on the street-working children. One of the central objectives of this IREWOC research therefore was to reveal the faces and voices of street children and analyse their various backgrounds, relations to the streets and their perceptions of their situation. The research results were expected to give relevant insights into the various reasons why children are in the streets, the activities in which the children engage and how they generate income and the consequences that the children experience from their working/living/being in the streets. The anthropological outline of the lives of street children will form a basis for the second objective of this research, namely to map different policy initiatives for street children and to identify the best practices to satisfy street children's needs. Are organisations working with street children alleviating the problem or are they reproducing it, i.e. are their policies pulling children to the streets? These research objectives have been translated to the following research questions: - What are the street children's coping mechanisms? What labour activities or other activities do the children perform to generate income and what do they use it for? - What consequences does living/working in the streets have for these children's lives: what are the specific problems that the various types of street children face? - What are their urgent (self-declared) needs and what are their (perceived) aspirations? - Which specific strategies and interventions are used by GOs and NGOs to improve the situation of street children? - What are the effects of the different GO and NGO interventions on the street children and which strategies can be identified as most effective in improving the daily life situation and the future prospects of the street children? - Do GOs and NGOs work in a complementary way? What are bottlenecks in cooperation? The fieldwork locations for this research were Lima and Cusco. Lima was chosen because of its urban and metropolitan character and high number of street children, and Cusco because of its tourism industry and more rural and indigenous influences. Details: Leiden: Foundation for International Research on Working Children (IREWOC), 2010. 145p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2015 at: https://www.essex.ac.uk/armedcon/story_id/Street%20Children%20Peru_Strehl_IREWOC_2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Peru URL: https://www.essex.ac.uk/armedcon/story_id/Street%20Children%20Peru_Strehl_IREWOC_2010.pdf Shelf Number: 134964 Keywords: Child AbuseChild LaborChild ProstitutionHomeless ChildrenOrganized CrimePovertySexual ExploitationStreet Children (Peru) |
Author: Murphy, Laura T. Title: Trafficking and Exploitative Labor among Homeless Youth in New Orleans Summary: According to the Global Slavery Index, about 60,000 people are currently suffering under conditions of forced labor in the United States. But more detailed and systematic data are needed - especially about U.S. cities said to be "hubs for human trafficking." In Louisiana, official data are starting to be collected after a law was passed in 2014. Meanwhile, as part of a larger national effort, we have undertaken a study of trafficking among homeless youth in New Orleans. Located at the edge of the French Quarter, Covenant House New Orleans provides shelter and services to homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth ages 16 to 22, and to their children. In a replication and extension of a previous Covenant House study in New York, we interviewed 99 New Orleans clients, asking about various kinds of victimization and probing to see if their work experiences met federal legal criteria for sex trafficking, in which "a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion" or the person is under 18 years old; or for forced labor, defined as "the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery." Overall, our study revealed that 14% of respondents were identified as victims of some form of legally defined trafficking, with eleven who said they were trafficked for sex, five who reported being subject to other kinds of forced labor, and two reporting both kinds of exploitation. Covenant House New Orleans cares for about 615 youth aged 16 to 23 over the course of a year, and our results indicate that about 85 residents per year are likely to have been trafficking victims as currently legally defined. More broadly, almost a third of our respondents reported having been approached by strangers on the street to trade sex or to engage in other illegal or informal work. Most assumed they were being offered an opportunity to work in the sex trade. Recruitment into the drug trade happened very young, with one respondent starting at age nine and others in their teenage years. Our study also revealed that homeless youth are vulnerable to other kinds of exploitation - such as dangerous work conditions or wage theft. Experiences of Trafficking - Primarily for Sex We uncovered only five legally defined labor trafficking cases, and four of them were youth forced into drug dealing. Only one person reported being brought into factory labor via fraud in Mexico. Forced sexual labor was the main form of trafficking experienced by victims in our study, reported by eight females and three males. Three victims identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. - Of the 11 people who were trafficked for sex, seven are considered trafficking victims by law because they were selling sex under age 18 either voluntarily or through force, and three of those seven continued to be coerced by pimps as young adults. Four older respondents reported situations of force, fraud, or coercion that compelled them to engage in sex work, so they too would be considered trafficked regardless of their age. Two young men who reported engaging in sex work as children indicated that they had not experienced any compulsion to participate. Sexual Labor and Sex for Survival One fourth of our respondents had been involved in sexual labor of some form. Thirteen respondents had worked as commercial sex workers, ten had worked in the sex industry as exotic dancers, and two had worked in the French Quarter as "shot girls" who use sexual flirtation to entice customers to buy drinks. - One third of all the young women we interviewed and almost a fifth of the men had engaged in sexual labor of some kind. In a typical year, therefore, Covenant House serves about 154 residents likely to have engaged in this kind of labor. - Fifteen respondents had engaged in "survival sex," performing a sex act in exchange for food, housing, or some other basic necessity they believed they had no other way to obtain. - Because there has been significant attention to survival sex prevalence among transgender youth, we analyzed that data and found that there were no clear cases of trafficking among the three transgender respondents. One reported resorting to survival sex on occasion for survival purposes. All three transgender respondents had experienced both sexual and physical abuse. Lessons and Policy Implications - Covenant House and similar shelters should increase beds and space for homeless youth, especially those involved in the sex trade. In cooperation with other providers, shelters should do more to help victims of sex trafficking, including young men as well as women. - Private and public agencies should improve work opportunities and training for young adults. - Currently, young adults "age out" of many legal protections and eligibility for foster care. Legislators should look for ways to ensure greater continuity into young adulthood. - The legislature and local police departments should fund and require programs to help law enforcement officers identify victims of trafficking; and community activists, legal professionals, and service providers should spread information about Louisiana's new law to vacate convictions for people who turn out to be trafficking victims. - To help communities cope, more research is needed on patterns of forced drug dealing. . Details: New Orleans: Loyola University, Modern Slavery Research Project and Covenant House, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2015 at: http://www.covenanthouseno.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Trafficking-Exploitative-Labor-Homeless-Youth-New-Orleans.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.covenanthouseno.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Trafficking-Exploitative-Labor-Homeless-Youth-New-Orleans.pdf Shelf Number: 135545 Keywords: Child LaborChild ProstitutionChild Sexual ExploitationChild Trafficking (New Orleans)Homeless YouthHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Vandenbroucke, Myriam W.G. Title: Evaluation of the Stop Child Exploitation Programme Cambodia, 2007-2012 Summary: Terre des Hommes Netherlands evaluated the Stop Child Exploitation programme in Cambodia over a 5-year period between January 2007 and June 2012. The evaluation focused on the impact and sustainability of the socio-economic development interventions in the reduction of child exploitation. Did the socio-economic development interventions supported by Terre des Hommes, prevent child exploitation and assist children and their families in Cambodia to improve their livelihood? Assumptions covered by the evaluation: - Income Generating Activities (IGAs) for caregivers reduces child exploitation - Vocational Training for youth reduces child exploitation - Members of Self Help Group (SHG) obtain a higher income or sustainable livelihood. The evaluation results showed that through socio-economic development interventions, child exploitation can be reduced. Children were enrolled in schools and fewer children were engaged in child labour, including the worst forms of child labour. Children worked less hours and days per week. Details: The Hague: Terre des Hommes Netherlands, 2012. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://www.terredeshommesnl.org/en/international/library Year: 2012 Country: Cambodia URL: http://www.terredeshommesnl.org/en/international/library Shelf Number: 129738 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual Exploitation |
Author: de Boer, Jennifer Title: Sweet Hazards: Child Labor on Sugarcane Plantations in the Philippines Summary: This report aims to illustrate the hazardous labor done by children worldwide by highlighting one particular case. Being illustrative, the report aims at telling the stories of the children's daily working conditions at the sugarcane plantations in Leyte, the Philippines. It does not attempt to be complete in its account of these working and living conditions, nor does it pretend to speak for all children involved in hazardous work of any kind. However, it is Terre des Hommes' conviction that the children from the sugarcane plantations around Ormoc face and voice problems that are of equal importance to other children in the world. Details: The Hague: Terre des Hommes Netherlands. 2005. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2015 at: http://www.eldis.org/go/home&id=20107&type=Document#.VWdjX09FDct Year: 2005 Country: Philippines URL: http://www.eldis.org/go/home&id=20107&type=Document#.VWdjX09FDct Shelf Number: 129954 Keywords: Child LaborChild Protection |
Author: Narhi, Marianna Title: The Future of Child Labour: Study of the worst forms of child labour in Bangladesh, Bolivia, India, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda Summary: This report is based on fieldwork carried out in three of the regions where Terre des Hommes Netherlands is active. The purpose of the research was to collect information on the worst forms of child labour by talking to stakeholders on different levels; from children, parents and employers to NGO's, police and the government. What kind of work do children do, why are they doing it, and why is it harmful to them? What is being done to eliminate child labour, what has been achieved and why does child labour prevail? What are recent shifts in child labour in these countries, and how are global trends affecting this? Running up to The Hague Global Child Labour Conference being hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, in close collaboration with the ILO in May 2010, Terre des Hommes is presenting some of the current statistics, trends, opinions and recommendations presiding amongst those involved with child labour in Bangladesh, Bolivia, India, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda. Compiling this into one report makes it possible to draw parallels between regions and countries. The prevalence of child domestic labour, and the abusive and slave-like conditions under which much of it takes place, was apparent in all research areas. The connections between domestic labour and unconditional worst forms of child labour such as trafficking and prostitution are unavoidable, and add to the urgency of developing appropriate response s to the exploitation faced by millions of children in this most common of employment sectors. The commercial sexual exploitation of children remains widespread, and the role of boys is often not well understood. Urbanisation and large-scale rural to urban migration are leading to growing slums and increasing populations of invisible, unsupervised, vulnerable children. HIV/AIDS, climate change, and the global economic crisis are pushing more and more children into exploitative situations. Children often do not receive sufficient protection from their families, their communities and state protection mechanisms. Although school enrolment rates are increasing across the researched regions, many children remain without viable alternatives to working. Different cultural perspectives on child labour, and discrepancies in the approaches taken by various local, national and international actors, affect the responses to child labour and the impact these have. This report aims to contribute to the on-going discussion about how best to protect children from exploitation by collating information and viewpoints from various sources. Details: The Hague: Terre des Hommes Netherlands, 2010. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2015 at: http://www.terredeshommesnl.org/download/64 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.terredeshommesnl.org/download/64 Shelf Number: 129783 Keywords: Child LaborChild Maltreatment |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "What ... if Something Went Wrong?" Hazardous Child Labor in Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Philippines Summary: In the small-scale gold mines of the Philippines, children risk their lives digging for gold. Some dive for hours, breathing through tubes, at risk of drowning. Some work underground in deep pits, where children have suffocated or been injured. Many process gold with mercury, a toxic metal that is particularly harmful to children. Based on 135 interviews, "What If Something Goes Wrong?" documents the hazards children face when working in small-scale gold mines in the Philippines, including the case of a 17-year-old boy who died in an underground mine in 2014. The report also demonstrates the government's failure to protect children and enforce mining laws and regulations. Human Rights Watch calls upon the Philippines government to monitor child labor; support the most vulnerable families; improve children's access to education and legal employment opportunities for those old enough; and establish a legal, child-labor-free small-scale gold mining sector. As part of these efforts, it should ratify the Minamata Convention on Mercury and introduce mercury-free gold processing methods. As a part of their responsibility not to benefit from child labor, the Philippines Central Bank and international gold trading companies should establish robust safeguards to trace the gold back to its origin and ensure that children have not mined the gold they buy. Details: New York: HRW, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 5, 2015 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/philippines0915_brochure_web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Philippines URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/philippines0915_brochure_web.pdf Shelf Number: 136945 Keywords: Child LaborChild Protection |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: Teens of the Tobacco Fields: Child Labor in United States Tobacco Farming Summary: Each year, children work on tobacco farms in the United States, where they are exposed to nicotine, toxic pesticides, and other dangers. The US government has failed to protect children from hazardous work in tobacco farming. Since 2014, some tobacco companies have prohibited the employment of children under 16 on farms from which they purchase tobacco. These policies are an important step forward, but they exclude 16 and 17-year-old children. Teens of the Tobacco Fields: Child Labor in United States Tobacco Farming is based on interviews with 26 children ages 16 and 17, as well as parents, health experts, and tobacco growers. It builds on Human Rights Watch's 2014 report on hazardous child labor in tobacco farming, Tobacco's Hidden Children, and documents the dangers of tobacco farming for 16 and 17 year olds. Most teenage children interviewed suffered symptoms consistent with acute nicotine poisoning. Many also reported working in or near fields that were being sprayed with pesticides and becoming ill. Several tobacco companies prohibit children under 18 from many hazardous tobacco farming tasks, but none have policies sufficient to protect all children from danger. Teenage children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of the work because their brains are still developing. Nicotine exposure during adolescence has been associated with mood disorders, and problems with memory, attention, impulse control, and cognition later in life. Human Rights Watch calls on tobacco companies and the US government and Congress to take urgent action to ban all children under 18 from hazardous work on tobacco farms. Details: New York: HRW, 2015. 79p., app. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 25, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/us1215tob_4up.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/us1215tob_4up.pdf Shelf Number: 137966 Keywords: Child LaborChild Protection |
Author: Amnesty International Title: "This Is What We Die For": Human Rights Abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Power the Global Trade in Cobalt Summary: People around the world increasingly rely on rechargeable batteries to power their mobile phones, tablets, laptop computers, cameras and other portable electronic devices. Cobalt is a key component in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. This report documents the hazardous conditions in which artisanal miners mine cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where more than half of the world's total supply of cobalt comes from. Using basic hand tools, artisanal miners dig out rocks from tunnels deep underground, and accidents are common. Many children are involved in artisanal mining. Despite the serious and potentially fatal health effects of prolonged exposure to cobalt, adult and child miners work with cobalt for long periods without even the most basic protective equipment. This report is the first comprehensive account of how cobalt from the DRC's artisanal mines enters the supply chain of many of the world's leading brands. It highlights the failure of these companies to put in place due diligence measures to identify where the cobalt in their products comes from and the conditions in which it is extracted and traded. The government of the DRC must extend and enforce labour and safety protections for all artisanal miners and create more authorized artisanal mining areas. The government, along with companies involved, should ensure that children are removed from hazardous working conditions and address the children's educational and other needs. All governments should enact and enforce laws requiring corporate due diligence and public disclosure in relation to cobalt and other minerals. Details: London: AI, 2016. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 4, 2016 at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr62/3183/2016/en/ Year: 2016 Country: Congo, Democratic Republic URL: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr62/3183/2016/en/ Shelf Number: 138032 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman Rights AbusesMining |
Author: Verite Title: Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal and Corporate Supply Chains. Research on Risk in 43 Commodities Worldwide Summary: This report presents narratives on 43 of the world's most important primary commodities. To produce these reports for each primary commodity, a multitude of data was assembled on global production and trade patterns (principal countries of production and consumption, and export-import data for key producers, importers, and the United States), reports of forced labor and/or child labor associated with the commodity, and the names of any countries in which trafficking-related problems have been reported in association with the commodity. Using the general information assembled as a starting point, each key commodity was then researched in depth, with the findings compiled into comprehensive commodity analyses. Thus, each individual commodity report provides background on the production patterns and labor practices involved in the specific industry in question. Each report also describes the connection, if any, between the commodity and forced labor and/or child labor. When available, case studies are provided of documented instances of human trafficking in the industry. The following reports also describe the structure of the supply chain for each commodity and any links to other supply chains for which the commodity is a key input, and review any government or industry initiatives that exist to reduce human trafficking in conjunction with the commodity in question. In the case of some commodities, no cases of human trafficking have been documented. In these commodity reports, efforts were made only to describe supply chain dynamics and general labor practices, to the degree that information was available. Therefore, these reports do not constitute a definitive list of commodities tainted by human trafficking. Given data limitations, it was necessary to examine other indicators, and one key indicator of risk that was used was the incidence of child labor. Child labor can vary considerably from sector to sector, country to country, and household to household, and it is not human trafficking per se. For these purposes, however, child labor may provide an indicator of risk for forced labor, given that the drivers for both may be similar, such as demand for cheap, exploitable, unskilled labor, poverty, unequal access to education, and exclusionary social attitudes based on caste, gender, immigration status, or ethnicity. That said, description of child labor risk in the commodity reports should not be used exclusively to evaluate the risk of trafficking in a supply chain, but should instead be understood as providing additional context. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016. 206p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2016 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Verite-CommodityReports-2016%200229.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Verite-CommodityReports-2016%200229.pdf Shelf Number: 138377 Keywords: Child LaborChild TraffickingForced LaborHuman TraffickingSupply Chains |
Author: Verite Title: Labor and Human Rights Risk Analysis of Ecuador's Palm Oil Sector Summary: This report is another important contribution to the literature on human and labor rights risks in palm oil production globally. Thus far, there has been very little research on conditions in palm oil production in Ecuador, Latin America's largest producer. Research carried out by Verite and REACH (Research-Education-Action-Change) found a number of risks including indicators of forced labor, unethical recruitment and hiring practices, wage and hour violations, child labor, discrimination against women and minorities, environmental damage, and displacement. Verite found that several factors heightened workers' vulnerability, including competition for a limited number of jobs, the involvement of labor brokers in the recruitment and management of workers, and the displacement of Colombian refugees who are forced to migrate to Ecuador, where the palm oil sector constitutes one of the only sources of employment available to them outside of illegal activities. Verite found that Colombian immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, are extremely vulnerable to labor and human rights abuses, especially in Esmeraldas, the province with by far the highest number of Colombian immigrants and the highest rate of African palm cultivation. Approximately 1,000 Colombians flee each month from violence in Colombia, which had the second highest rate of displacement in the world after Syria, to Ecuador, which is by far the country with the largest number of Colombian refugees. These immigrants faced discrimination and threats of deportation, constraining their ability to protest unfair labor conditions and making them especially vulnerable to exploitation. Verite research detected a large number of indicators of forced labor, including indicators of unfree recruitment, work and life under duress, and impossibility of leaving employers, especially among Colombian immigrants. Verite's research also uncovered additional problems faced by palm workers. These risks included wage, benefit, and working hour violations; child labor; discrimination against women, indigenous people, and people of African descent; health and safety risks; poor housing; environmental damage; harm to indigenous communities; and inadequate grievance mechanisms. For more information, along with recommendations for action, please see our in-depth report on Labor and Human Rights Risks in Ecuador's Palm Oil Sector. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2016 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/Risk%20Analysis%20of%20Ecuador%20Palm%20Oil%20Sector-final%20draft.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Ecuador URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/Risk%20Analysis%20of%20Ecuador%20Palm%20Oil%20Sector-final%20draft.pdf Shelf Number: 139262 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman RightsImmigrant laborLabor Exploitation |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "The Harvest is in My Blood": Hazardous Child Labor in Tobacco Farming in Indonesia Summary: Indonesia is the world's fifth-largest tobacco producer, with more than 500,000 tobacco farms. Thousands of children, some as young as eight years old, work in hazardous conditions on these farms, exposed to nicotine, toxic pesticides, and other dangers. This work can have lasting consequences for their health and development. Large Indonesian companies, as well as some of the largest multinational tobacco companies in the world, buy the vast majority of tobacco grown in Indonesia and use it to manufacture tobacco products sold domestically and abroad. None of these companies do enough to ensure children are not working in hazardous conditions on farms in their supply chains. Based on interviews with more than 130 child workers, This report documents how child tobacco workers suffer symptoms consistent with acute nicotine poisoning, handle toxic chemicals, cut themselves with sharp tools, faint while working in extreme heat, and face other dangers. Few of the children interviewed, or their parents, understood the health risks of the work or were trained on safety measures. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of tobacco farming because their brains and bodies are still developing. Nicotine exposure during childhood has been associated with mood disorders, and problems with memory, attention, impulse control, and cognition later in life. Human Rights Watch urges the Indonesian government and tobacco companies to ban children from work that involves direct contact with tobacco. Details: Hew York: HRW, 2016. 127p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 1, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/indonesia0516web_0.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Indonesia URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/indonesia0516web_0.pdf Shelf Number: 139921 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild LaborChild ProtectionHuman Rights AbusesTobacco |
Author: Piza, Caio Title: Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Child-Labor Ban Summary: This is the first study to investigate the short- and long-term causal effects of a child-labor ban. The study explores the law that increased the minimum employment age from 14 to 16 in Brazil in 1998, and uncovers its impact on time allocated to schooling and work in the short term and on school attainment and labor market outcomes in the long term. The analysis uses cross-sectional data from 1998 to 2014, and applies a fuzzy regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact of the ban at different points of individuals' lifecycles. The estimates show that the ban reduced the incidence of boys in paid work activities by 4 percentage points or 27 percent. The study finds that the fall in child labor is mostly explained by the change in the proportions of boys working for pay and studying, and observes an increase in the proportion of boys only studying as a consequence. The results suggest that the ban reduced boys' participation in the labor force. The study follows the same cohort affected by the ban over the years, and finds that the short-term effects persisted until 2003 when the boys turned 18. The study pooled data from 2007 to 2014 to check whether the ban affected individuals' stock of human capital and labor market outcomes. The estimates suggest that the ban did not have long-term effects for the whole cohort, but found some indication that it did negatively affect the log earnings of individuals at the lower tail of the earnings distribution. Details: Washington, DC: World Bank Group, 2016. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Research working paper; no. WPS 7796; Impact Evaluation series: Accessed August 29, 2016 at: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/146211471281195366/pdf/WPS7796.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Brazil URL: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/146211471281195366/pdf/WPS7796.pdf Shelf Number: 140074 Keywords: Child LaborChild ProtectionChild Welfare |
Author: Verite Title: The Nexus of Illegal Gold Mining and Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chains: Lessons from Latin America Summary: Research carried out by Verite has found that Latin American countries export staggering amounts of illegally mined gold tied to human trafficking. This presents legal and reputational risks for major companies with gold in their supply chains. The paper, The Nexus of Illegal Gold Mining and Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chains, provides analysis of the risk of labor trafficking linked to illegal gold mining in Latin America, drawing upon in-depth field research carried out by Verite in Peru in 2012-2013 and in Colombia in 2015, and desk research carried out across the Latin American region. The diminishing supply and increasing demand for gold, combined with criminal and armed groups' quest for new sources of illicit revenue, have contributed to a surge in illegal extraction of gold from increasingly remote and lawless regions. Latin America is a vitally important player in the global gold trade, contributing 20 percent of the world's gold production in 2013. Latin American countries, along with Canada (which is a major conduit for Latin American gold), constitute all top ten exporters of gold to the United States. In several Latin American countries, unregulated illegal and informal mines account for over 75 percent of gold produced. In Peru and Colombia-the two largest cocaine producers in the world-the value of illegal gold exports has in recent years surpassed the value of cocaine exports, becoming the largest illicit export from these two countries. In Latin America, and elsewhere in the world, illegally mined gold is strongly linked to human trafficking and other labor abuses as these mines are usually located in areas with a weak presence of government authorities and a strong presence of armed and criminal groups. Verite's in-depth research in Peru found many other indicators of forced labor in illegal gold mining, all of which increase the risk of human trafficking. In Colombia, both men and women were found to be vulnerable to labor trafficking in mines controlled by armed and criminal groups. Small-scale artisanal miners, who should in no way be confused with the groups that control illegal mines, are also increasingly vulnerable to becoming victims of debt bondage, both because they are extorted by these groups and because some governments treat them as criminals rather than as potential victims. In addition, illegal gold mining is closely associated with child labor, severe threats to workers' health and safety, and sex trafficking. Child labor - including forced child labor-is common in illegal gold mining. While children are generally employed in peripheral services such as tire and motorcycle repair and stores, teenagers are employed in many of the most dangerous jobs in illegal gold mines, such as swimming in mercury-filled pools of water to suck up gold-laced sand with powerful hoses, risking drowning and being disemboweled by the powerful hoses. Workers also face mine collapses and explosions, repetitive tasks, heavy work, and exposure to extreme heat, dust, noise, tropical illnesses, and mercury and cyanide. Verite field research found that sex trafficking, including of girls as young as 12, is extremely pervasive in illegal mining areas. Illegally mined gold is "laundered" and exported, with the help of corrupt government officials, to prominent refineries, which supply some of the biggest central banks, jewelry companies, and electronics producers in the world. In contrast to other goods produced by organized criminal groups such as cocaine or heroin, illegally mined gold can easily be laundered, after which it becomes a legitimate consumer commodity that moves easily and legally across international borders. The ubiquity of illegally-mined gold and the lack of transparency upstream of most gold refineries means that companies buying gold from major refineries are often at risk of illegally mined gold entering their supply chains. A Verite analysis of Dodd-Frank Act compliance records found that 72 of the Fortune 500 companies filed conflict mineral reports during 2015 listing the smelters and refineries from which they obtained their gold the previous year. Verite found that approximately 90 percent of these companies purchased gold from refineries that have demonstrated a pattern of purchasing illegally mined gold from Latin America. Companies that source illegally produced gold from Latin America face severe reputational and legal risks, including potential liability under a number of statutes covering company complicity in trafficking in persons, forced and child labor, organized crime, corruption, and conflict minerals. Some of these statutes stipulating steep fines for companies and even long jail sentences for their executives. Combatting illegal gold mining and the human and labor rights abuses that accompany it requires a coordinated, multi-pronged approach by the governments of gold producing countries, as well as the countries and companies that import gold. While some Latin American governments have recently stepped up efforts to prosecute individuals and companies that illegally extract and export gold, the governments of gold importing countries have thus far done relatively little to hold accountable the companies that import this gold, although they have the tools and mandate to do so. Companies must also take steps to ensure that they are not responsible for perpetuating organized crime, violence, corruption, and human trafficking by purchasing, directly or indirectly, illegally mined gold from Latin America. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/Verite-Report-Illegal_Gold_Mining.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Latin America URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/Verite-Report-Illegal_Gold_Mining.pdf Shelf Number: 140083 Keywords: Child LaborConflict MineralsForced LaborGold Mining Human TraffickingNatural ResourcesOrganized CrimeSupply Chains |
Author: ECPAT Brazil Title: Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism. County-Specific Report: Brazil Summary: People who have suffered from the enduring societal scourge of sexual exploitation of children (SEC) have urgently and tirelessly campaigned alongside advocates to eradicate SEC and the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) while never forgetting the devastating impact the phenomenon reaps upon nations, communities, families and the children themselves. In Brazil, modern-day slavery and child labour are rampant. Many have raised concerns as to the effects of mega sports events on the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in a country already facing such challenges. As is well-known, Brazil was home to the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and is about to be host to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games this year. With the surging number of tourists and travellers - tourism in Brazil tripled in June 2014, when the World Cup took place -, members of civil society organisations feared that more children would be at a greater risk in certain areas of the country. Despite acknowledging that perhaps no increase in CSEC was registered, improvements in this area have not been achieved either . Furthermore, the development and expansion of the internet has facilitated travel while granting anonymity to a growing number of sexual exploitation networks, enabling them to develop new ways to escape identification by existing protection systems. Details: Rio de Janeiro: ECPAT Brazil, 2015. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: http://globalstudysectt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/3.-SECTT-BRAZIL.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Brazil URL: http://globalstudysectt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/3.-SECTT-BRAZIL.pdf Shelf Number: 140307 Keywords: Child LaborChild PornographyChild ProstitutionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationSex Tourism |
Author: Theuws, Martje Title: Flawed Fabrics: The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry Summary: The women and girls who work in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu, some as young as 15, are mostly recruited from marginalised Dalit communities in impoverished rural areas. They are forced to work long hours for low wages. They live in very basic company-run hostels and are hardly ever allowed to leave the company compound. The researched spinning mills have Western companies and Bangladesh garment factories among their customers, including C&A, Mothercare, HanesBrands, Sainsbury's and Primark. The report portrays the situation in five spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, which is a major hub in the global textile and knitwear industry: Best Cotton Mills, Jeyavishnu Spintex, Premier Mills, Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills and Super Spinning Mills. The research is based on in-depth interviews with 150 workers combined with an analysis of corporate information and export data regarding the companies involved. Spinning mills in this region produce cotton yarn and fabrics, both for further processing in the Indian garment industry and for export to other countries, in particular Bangladesh. Semi-prison The teenage girls and young women told researchers how they had been lured from their home villages with attractive promises of decent jobs and good pay. In reality, however, they are working under appalling conditions that amount to modern day slavery and the worst forms of child labour. Workers don't get contracts or payslips. Workers have nowhere to go to express their grievances. In the mills there are no trade unions or functioning complaint mechanisms. One interviewed worker at Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills said of her living conditions: "I do not like the hostel; there is no entertainment and no outside contact and is very far from the town. It is like a semi-prison." Bangladesh Accord Two mills were found to be supplying Bangladesh garment factories that fall under the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety. As such the report presents a direct link between the Accord's signatories and unacceptable labour rights violations in India. Due to a lack of transparency in the garment sector, SOMO and ICN could not establish which signatories. All Western retailers and fashion brands source from these factories. The export data also link the investigated spinning mills to three foreign banks: Standard Chartered Bank, The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi and Raifeisenbank. These banks provide financial services to the spinning mills and their customers. However, referring to banking security and privacy, the banks refused to disclose any details. Failing audits? In the past few years, brands and retailers sourcing from Tamil Nadu have started to step up audits and corrective actions plans at the level of end-manufacturing units (first tier suppliers). However, only a small number of brands and retailers have started mapping and to some extent auditing their second-tier suppliers. The vast majority of buyers do not engage in monitoring and corrective actions at the level of the spinning mills (which are second-tier suppliers). Two of the researched mills received a certification (SA8000) for adhering to international labour standards, while this report shows labour conditions at these mills are far from acceptable. Details: Amsterdam: Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), 2014. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2016 at: https://www.somo.nl/flawed-fabric-the-abuse-of-girls-and-women-workers-in-the-south-indian-textile-industry/ Year: 2014 Country: India URL: https://www.somo.nl/flawed-fabric-the-abuse-of-girls-and-women-workers-in-the-south-indian-textile-industry/ Shelf Number: 140344 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborModern Slavery |
Author: ten Kate, Albert Title: Beauty and a Beast: Child labour in India for sparkling cars and cosmetics Summary: This report focuses on child labour in Jharkhand/Bihar for mica mining and processing, and the role of Dutch companies and main manufacturers of pearlescent pigments globally. Recent documented cases substantiate the significant use of child labour: - During field research by SOMO in October 2015, a dozen children under ten were seen working in places where locally mined crude mica is gathered. This was in the subdistricts Tisri and Domchance, and outside school hours. - During the field research, a local representative of BBA for the mica mining village Dhab (around 4,500 inhabitants) stated that about 10% of the children presently don't go to school and likely work in the mines. - BBA's district coordinator for Jharkhand/Bihar told SOMO in October 2015 that Giridih district is a very difficult area to effectively ban child labour. BBA's work in twenty villages in the district is ongoing, but they constantly observe that groups of children in the district still go to the mines. - In late January 2016, Kalpana Pradhan, a journalist accompanying SOMO during its field investigation, went back to the rural area of subdistrict Tisri. She saw a mine within the forest where at least nine young girls (aged between nine and thirteen) were working. - In January 2016 a team from television broadcaster France 2 went to a mica mine in the area, and estimated that a third of the miners were under twelve years old. "They start at five or six years old, when they are able to recognize mica. They harvest it with us," said one mother. - In March 2015, a ten-year-old girl was crushed to death when the roof of a mica mine collapsed on her. In March 2014, the same happened to two other children. - In August 2015 Agence France-Presse (AFP) interviewed an eight-year-old girl who was mining and not attending school. Additionally, a father-of four acknowledged that his children spent their days mining mica to keep the family's heads above water. Details: Amsterdam: Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen (SOMO), Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, 2016. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2016 at: https://www.somo.nl/beauty-and-a-beast/ Year: 2016 Country: India URL: https://www.somo.nl/beauty-and-a-beast/ Shelf Number: 147956 Keywords: Child LaborChild ProtectionGold MiningIllegal Mining |
Author: Bergbom, Katie Title: Trapped in the Kitchen of the World: The situation for migrant workers in Thailand's poultry industry Summary: Thailand is a prominent world supplier of poultry meat products. During the last couple of decades the nation's domestic production has experienced several booms, as the poultry industry has evolved into a main ingredient of Thailand's objective of becoming "the kitchen of the world". The EU has become its biggest market for export. About 270 000 tonnes of poultry meat products were shipped from Thailand to the EU in 2014. Sweden has imported poultry products from Thailand since at least the late 1990s. In 2014 Thailand was Sweden's second largest supplier of processed poultry products, after Denmark. Recently Sweden launched a National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights with the explicit expectation that all Swedish companies shall respect human rights, as specified in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). With this report Swedwatch aims to investigate the levels of social responsibility taken by Swedish stakeholders in their trade with Thai suppliers, from the perspective of the above mentioned standards. Thai industries are grappling with a shortage of domestic labour. Like many of Thailand's labour intensive sectors the poultry industry too has found a remedy across the borders, in the neighboring countries. In search for better salaries and the possibility to send money back home, millions of migrant workers from mainly Cambodia and Myanmar have formed the lowest level of Thailand's labour pyramid. Many of these people have also become victims of unscrupulous employers and recruiters as well as corrupt officials. This report indicates that violations of migrant workers' rights occur in Thailand's poultry industry, in resemblance to other Thai sectors that have been exposed by the media during the latest years. According to the global labour rights organization Solidarity Center, migrant workers in Thailand experience some of the worst abuse in the world. Interviews with 98 migrant workers employed by four different Thai poultry producers, that all have exported to Sweden during the last three years, show an extensive variation of violations. In total, six factories were included in the field study. Based on the interviews, four of the factories were found to act in breach of many or all of Thailand's main labour and social protection laws as well as international laws and standards formulated by the UN, ILO and others, at the time of the field study. Migrant workers at all factories included in the study state that personal documents such as passports or work permits have been confiscated by their employers or recruitment agencies. The interviews reveal that workers are in different levels of debt bondage due to excessive recruitment fees and other costs at all selected factories. Interviewees at all factories stated that they had not received health insurance though fees were deducted from their salaries. These practices are only a few examples revealed by the field study. All are indicators of trafficking of adults for labour exploitation, according to the International Labour Organization, ILO. Workers at four of the six factories said there was child labour, at three of the factories with workers as young as 14 years old. Employing youth under 15 years of age is in breach of Thailand's Labour Protection Act of 1998. Thai poultry meat products follow a complex supply chain before they reach the consumer in private restaurants and cafs, public hospitals and schools or at family dinner tables in Sweden. The EU legislation regarding indication of origin on processed food means that products labelled as having an EU country as origin, actually may come from third countries such as Thailand. This makes it near impossible to estimate the total volume of Thai poultry imported to the Swedish market annually. According to one of the Swedish importers, at least half of all the Thai poultry meat that is consumed in Sweden is not included in the official statistics of import. Swedwatch's survey of Swedish stakeholders involved in the import of poultry products from Thailand shows that this decades long business relation was initiated with a focus on animal welfare and product quality, and with no meaningful due diligence performed on potential adverse human rights impacts in the industry. Of the stakeholders interviewed for this report only Axfood, a wholesaler, has started to perform due diligence on adverse human rights impacts in Thailand's poultry industry. Other than that, the UNGP and the Swedish government's National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights are still unknown to many actors in Sweden's food sector. This report further reveals extensive shortcomings of social responsibility in Swedish public procurement of food. Public procurers at county councils and municipalities do not have the routines to set social criteria in their procurement of food. Audits to ensure that their codes of conduct are fulfilled throughout their supply chains are generally not performed due to lack of resources. This means that children and adults in Sweden's public institutions such as schools, retirement homes and hospitals may be served poultry products produced by exploited migrant workers. For this report Swedwatch has also conducted a survey of supermarket chains on the Swedish market. The focus was on house brands containing poultry products. The results show that one out of five food companies included in the survey use Thai poultry in their house brands. This report makes several recommendations. Thai companies should ensure that all forms of unlawful recruitment fees are stopped and ensure that brokers are not charging migrant workers costs leading to debt bondage. As a minimum all the companies should comply with Thai labour legislation. Stakeholders at the Swedish food market that are linked to the import of Thai poultry products should assure that their suppliers follow international labour right standards as expressed in the ILO core conventions. Importers and wholesalers should conduct due diligence on adverse human rights impacts and show with commitment and transparency how potential risks are identified and mitigated, in accordance with the guidelines of the UNGP. Food should be identified as a risk category in trade, not only when it comes to animal welfare and product quality. Details: Stockholm: SwedWatch, 2015. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Report #76: Accessed October 15, 2016 at: http://www.swedwatch.org/sites/default/files/tmp/76_thaikyckling_151123_ab.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Thailand URL: Shelf Number: 144878 Keywords: Child LaborDebt BondageHuman Rights AbusesHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationMigrant Workers |
Author: LexisNexis Title: Dark Chocolate: Understanding Human Trafficking Risks in the Chocolate Supply Chain; We Have a Choice White Paper Summary: Using a licensed collection of the most influential news sources from more than 120 countries, the LexisNexis Human Trafficking Awareness Index measures media coverage of human trafficking to highlight key trends at national and global levels. The Index is intended to support the work of campaigners and other organisations in understanding perceptions of human trafficking in its various forms. This report was developed in partnership with STOP THE TRAFFIK as part of this Rule of Law initiative. STOP THE TRAFFIK (www.stopthetraffik.org) is a global campaign organisation working to prevent human trafficking. For further information on the LexisNexis Human Trafficking Awareness Index please visit www. nexis.co.uk/humantrafficking or email nexisinfo@lexisnexis.co.uk. This report focuses on the 476 English language articles identified in the Nexis Human Trafficking Awareness Index, since the launch of the Index in May 2010 until May 2013, directly relating to human trafficking and the global cocoa supply chain. Representing a tiny fraction of the articles within the Nexis database they nonetheless provide deep insight into this issue. A significant proportion of the licensed content is not available on the open web and it is all structured and enriched to make analysis easy. We examine the link between chocolate and human trafficking by analysing: - media coverage of the largest companies in the industry and implications for supply chain professionals; - how Non-Governmental Organisations drive media awareness and influence key initiatives for change; - the role of certification and how organisations can incorporate it into their broader supply chain risk management. Details: Cambridge, UK: LexisNexis, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2016 at: http://www.nexis.co.uk/pdf/Dark_Chocolate.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.nexis.co.uk/pdf/Dark_Chocolate.pdf Shelf Number: 145093 Keywords: Child LaborChild TraffickingCocoa IndustryHuman Trafficking |
Author: Quattri, Maria Title: Child Labour and Education: A survey of slum settlements in Dhaka Summary: Urbanisation has powered Bangladesh’s development. But it has gone hand-in-hand with the rapid growth of urban slums marked by high levels of poverty and low levels of service provision. In these slums, child labour is rife. Child labour and education: a survey of slum settlements in Dhaka presents findings from one of the largest surveys on child work and education conducted in Bangladesh. ODI research found that 15% of 6 to 14-year-old children in Dhaka's slums were out of school and engaged in full-time work. Average working hours for these children were well beyond the 42-hour limit set by national legislation. The garments sector accounted for two thirds of female working children, raising serious concerns over garment exports and child labour. By the age of 14, almost half of children living in the slums of Dhaka were working. The research shows how early exposure to work and withdrawal from education are harmful to children. This report offers recommendations for coordinated, cross-sectoral policies to break the link between child labour, social disadvantage and restricted opportunities for education. Policies must be integrated to span the regulation of labour markets, education, child welfare and wider global strategies for poverty reduction – what we found in Dhaka is a microcosm of a global problem that should be at the centre of the international agenda. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute (ODI), 2016. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2016 at: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/11145.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Bangladesh URL: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/11145.pdf Shelf Number: 147763 Keywords: Child LaborChild WelfareEducationPovertySlums |
Author: Danwatch Title: Bitter Coffee: Slavery-like Working Conditions and Deadly Pesticides on Brazilian Coffee Plantations Summary: Brazil’s coffee industry has serious problems with working conditions that are analogous to slavery, life- threatening pesticides and scarce protective equipment. Danwatch has confronted the world’s largest coffee companies with the facts of these violations. Jacobs Douwe Egberts admits that it is possible that coffee from plantations with poor labour conditions ended up in their products, and coffee giant Nestlé acknowledges having purchased coffee from two plantations where authorities freed workers from conditions analogous to slavery in 2015. Debt bondage, child labour, deadly pesticides, a lack of protective equipment, and workers without contracts. Danwatch has been on assignment in Brazil and can prove that coffee workers in the world’s largest coffee-growing nation work under conditions that contravene both Brazilian law and international conventions. Danwatch has confronted some of the world’s largest coffee companies with the facts surrounding these illegal working conditions. Two coffee giants admit that coffee from plantations where working conditions resembled slavery according to the Brazilian authorities may have ended up in their supply chains. Details: Copenhagen, Denmark: Danwatch, 2016. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://www.danwatch.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Danwatch-Bitter-Coffee-MARCH-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Brazil URL: https://www.danwatch.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Danwatch-Bitter-Coffee-MARCH-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 147292 Keywords: Child LaborCoffee IndustryDebt BondageModern Slavery |
Author: Danwatch Title: Bitter Coffee II -- Guatemala Summary: Guatemala grows some of the world's best coffee for quality-conscious consumers, but some of it is produced under conditions that contravene both international conventions and the country's own laws, according to the results of Danwatch's latest investigation into conditions among coffee workers. The investigation shows that illegal child labour and signs of forced labour are widespread. Furthermore, workers and union representatives who try to defend the rights of coffee workers risk not only being fired, but also threats and violence. Details: Copenhagen: Danwatch, 2016. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://www.danwatch.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Bitter-coffee-Guatemala-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Guatemala URL: https://www.danwatch.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Bitter-coffee-Guatemala-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 145768 Keywords: Child LaborCoffee IndustryForced Labor |
Author: Verite Title: Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal and Corporate Supply Chains: Research on Risk in 43 Commodities Worldwide Summary: More than twenty million men, women and children around the world are currently believed to be victims of human trafficking, a global criminal industry estimated to be worth $150.2 billion annually. As defined in the US Department of State's 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), the terms "trafficking in persons" and "human trafficking" refer broadly to "the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion," irrespective of whether the person has been moved from one location to another. Trafficking in persons includes practices such as coerced sex work by adults or children, forced labor, bonded labor or debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Many different factors indicate that an individual may be in a situation of trafficking. Among the most clear-cut indicators are the experience of coercive or deceptive recruitment, restricted freedom of movement, retention of identity documents by employers, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions, forced overtime, isolation, and physical or sexual violence. The United States Government is broadly committed to combating trafficking in persons, as guided by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, and the UN Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. In September 2012, the United States took an unprecedented step in the fight against human trafficking with the release of a presidential executive order (EO) entitled "Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts." In issuing this EO, the White House acknowledged that "as the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, the US Government has a responsibility to combat human trafficking at home and abroad, and to ensure American tax dollars do not contribute to this affront to human dignity." The EO prohibits human trafficking activities not just by federal prime contractors, but also by their employees, subcontractors, and subcontractor employees. Subsequent amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DFARS) in the wake of the EO will affect a broad range of federal contracts, and will require scrutiny by prime contractors of subcontractor labor practices to a degree that has not previously been commonplace. Top level contractors will now need to look actively at the labor practices of their subcontractors and suppliers, and to consider the labor involved in production of inputs even at the lowest tiers of their supply chains. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2017. 355p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 25, 2017 at: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/EO-and-Commodity-Reports-Combined-FINAL-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/EO-and-Commodity-Reports-Combined-FINAL-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 145793 Keywords: Child Labor Child Trafficking Forced LaborHuman Trafficking Supply Chains |
Author: Walts, Katherine Kaufka Title: Child Labor Trafficking in the United States: A Hidden Crime Summary: Emerging research brings more attention to labor trafficking in the United States. However, very few efforts have been made to better understand or respond to labor trafficking of minors. Cases of children forced to work as domestic servants, in factories, restaurants, peddling candy or other goods, or on farms may not automatically elicit suspicion from an outside observer as compared to a child providing sexual services for money. In contrast to sex trafficking, labor trafficking is often tied to formal economies and industries, which often makes it more difficult to distinguish from 'legitimate' work, including among adolescents. This article seeks to provide examples of documented cases of child labor trafficking in the United States, and to provide an overview of systemic gaps in law, policy, data collection, research, and practice. These areas are currently overwhelmingly focused on sex trafficking, which undermines the policy intentions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), the seminal statute criminalizing sex and labor trafficking in the United States, its subsequent reauthorizations, and international laws and protocols addressing human trafficking. Details: Chicago: Loyola University Chicago, Center for the Human Rights of Children, 2017. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2017 at: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/914 Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/914 Shelf Number: 147245 Keywords: Child LaborChild Trafficking Human Trafficking |
Author: Sviatschi, Maria Micaela Title: Essays on Human Capital, Labor and Development Economics Summary: This dissertation contains four essays on human capital, labor and development economics. The first two chapters study how exposure to particular labor markets during childhood determines the formation of industry-specific human capital generating longterm consequences in terms of adult criminal behavior, labor outcomes and state legitimacy. The third chapter explores how criminal capital developed during childhood can be exported to other locations generating spillover effects on human capital accumulation. Finally, the last chapter studies how improving access to justice for women affects children's outcomes. Chapter 1, "Making a Narco: Childhood Exposure to Illegal Labor Markets and Criminal Life Paths", shows that exposing children to illegal labor markets makes them more likely to be criminals as adults. I exploit the timing of a large anti-drug policy in Colombia that shifted cocaine production to locations in Peru that were well-suited to growing coca. In these areas, children harvest coca leaves and transport processed cocaine. Using variation across locations, years, and cohorts, combined with administrative data on the universe of individuals in prison in Peru, affected children are 30% more likely to be incarcerated for violent and drug-related crimes as adults. The biggest impacts on adult criminality are seen among children who experienced high coca prices in their early teens, the age when child labor responds the most. No effect is found for individuals that grow up working in places where the coca produced goes primarily to the legal sector, implying that it is the accumulation of human capital specific to the illegal industry that fosters criminal careers. As children involved in the illegal industry learn how to navigate outside the rule of law, they also lose trust in government institutions. However, consistent with a model of parental incentives for human capital investments in children, the rollout of a conditional cash transfer program that encourages schooling mitigates the ef- fects of exposure to illegal industries. Finally, I show how the program can be targeted by taking into account the geographic distribution of coca suitability and spatial spillovers. Overall, this paper takes a first step towards understanding how criminals are formed by unpacking the way in which crime-specific human capital is developed at the expense of formal human capital in "bad locations." While my first chapter focuses on low-skilled labor and criminal capital, my second chapter studies the expansion of high-skilled labor markets. In Chapter 2, "Long-term Effects of Temporary Labor Demand: Free Trade Zones, Female Education and Marriage Market Outcomes in the Dominican Republic", I exploit the sudden and massive growth of female factory jobs in free trade zones (FTZs) in the Dominican Republic in the 1990s, and subsequent decline in the 2000s, to provide the first evidence that even relatively brief episodes of preferential trade treatments for export industries may have permanent effects on human capital levels and female empowerment. Focusing on a sample of provinces that established FTZs and exploiting variation in the opening of zones and age of women at the time of opening, I show that the FTZs' openings led to a large and very robust increase in girls' education. The effect persists after a decline in FTZs' jobs in the 2000s following the end of a trade agreement with the U.S. and an increase in competition from Asia. The reason appears to be that the increase in some girls' education changed marriage markets: girls whose education increased due to the FTZs' openings married later, had better matches with more stable marriages, gave birth later, and had children who were more likely to survive infancy. In sum, the evidence in this paper indicates that labor markets can improve female outcomes in developing countries through general equilibrium effects in the education and marriage markets. Another question I address in my dissertation is whether criminal capital developed during childhood can be exported to other locations. In the first chapter, I find that individuals take skills related to the illegal drug industry with them when they move to other districts, even when they move to districts without significant illegal industries. Chapter 3, "Exporting Criminal Capital: The Effect of U.S. Deportations on Gang Expansion and Human Capital in Central America", provides new evidence on how an increase in criminal capital due to deportations from the US affects human capital investments in El Salvador. In 1996, the U.S. Illegal Immigration Responsibility Act drastically increased the number of criminal deportations. In particular, the leaders of large gangs in Los Angeles were sent back to their countries. In addition to having a direct effect, the arrival of individuals bringing criminal skills and connections may have generated important spillover effects. We exploit this policy to look at the impact that deportation policies and the subsequent arrival of criminal capital to El Salvador had on several educational and economic outcomes. Using the 1996 policy and geographical variation in the exact location and delimitation of different gang groups, we find that criminal deportations led to large increase in crime and decrease in human capital accumulation for children living in these areas. Overall, this project helps to understand one of the reasons why El Salvador is among the world's most violent peacetime countries. Understanding these effects is crucial for public policy to successfully incorporate deported criminals back into society. While my work in the Dominican Republic and the previous literature has shown that increasing the returns to education for women incentivizes schooling, there is little evidence on how domestic violence affects human capital development and whether improving access to institutions for women can address these issues. During my field work in rural areas of Peru, I found that institutions do not usually address the problems facing women or ethnic and religious minorities. For example, the police do very little to stop domestic violence. Moreover, in many cases, women do not even trust these institutions enough to report these issues. Chapter 4, "Inter-Generational Impacts of Improving Access to Justice for Women: Evidence from Peru", exploits the introduction of women's justice centers (WJCs) in Peru to provide causal estimates on the effects of improving access to justice for women and children. Our empirical approach uses variation over time in the distance from schools and households to the nearest WJC together with province- by-year fixed effects. After the opening of WJC, we find that primary school enrollment increases at schools that are within a 1km radius of a WJC and the effect decreases with distance. In addition, we also find that primary school second graders have better test scores in reading and mathematics. Moreover, we find that children in primary school living in household's located near a WJC are more likely to attend school, to pass a grade and they are also less likely to drop out of school. We also provide some evidence that these improvements might be driven by an increase in the bargaining power of women inside the household and decrease in domestic violence. In sum, the evidence in this paper shows that providing access to justice for women can be a powerful tool to reduce domestic violence and increase education of children, suggesting a positive inter-generational benefit. Details: New York: Columbia University, 2017. 243p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 20, 2017 at: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:nk98sf7m24 Year: 2017 Country: South America URL: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:nk98sf7m24 Shelf Number: 147415 Keywords: Child LaborCocaineDrug PolicyEconomics of CrimeGangsIllegal DrugsIllegal ImmigrantsIllegal IndustriesLabor MarketsViolence Against Women |
Author: International Labour Organization Title: Global Estimates of Child Labour: Results and Trends, 2012-2016 Summary: Child labour remains endemic and its elimination requires both economic and social reform as well as the active cooperation of all those active cooperation of governments, workers' and employers' organizations, enterprises, international organizations, and civil society at large. The current report, the fifth edition of the ILO's quadrennial report series on global estimates of child labour, charts how far we have come and how far we still have to go to honour this commitment to ending child labour. It describes the scale and key characteristics of child labour in the world today, as well as changes in the global child labour situation over time. It also discusses key policy priorities in the campaign to reach the 2025 target. The report, and the global estimation exercise that underpins it, forms part of a broader inter-agency effort under Alliance 8.7 to measure and monitor progress towards target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Details: Geneva: ILO, 2017. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2017 at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575499.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575499.pdf Shelf Number: 147474 Keywords: Child LaborRights of the Child |
Author: Kofol, Chiara Title: Child Labor and the Arrival of Refugees: Evidence from Tanzania Summary: The impact of hosting refugees on child labor in host countries is unclear. This paper estimates both the short and the long term consequences of hosting refugees fleeing from the genocides of Rwanda and Burundi in the Kagera region of Tanzania between 1991 and 2004. The study uses longitudinal data from the Kagera Health and Development Survey. Using the exogenous nature of refugee settlement in Kagera due to geographic and logistical reasons, we find the causal impact of hosting refugees on child labor and children's schooling outcomes. The results suggest that the impact of hosting refugees on children living in Kagera decreases child labor in the short run (between 1991 and 1994), but increases it in the longer run (1991-2004). The results are heterogeneous across gender and age. The study aims at understanding the mechanisms behind the variation in child labor outcome due to the forced migration shock exploring various channels. Details: Bonn: Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), 2017. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper No. 11242: Accessed January 31, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3097360 Year: 2017 Country: Tanzania URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3097360 Shelf Number: 148934 Keywords: Child LaborChild WelfareForced MigrationRefugees |
Author: Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse Title: Child Migration Programmes: Investigation Report Summary: Over a period of many years before and after the Second World War, successive United Kingdom governments allowed children to be removed from their families, care homes and foster care in England and Wales to be sent to institutions or families abroad, without their parents. These child migrants were sent mainly to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Government departments, public authorities and charities participated in these child migration programmes and were responsible, to varying degrees, for what subsequently happened to the children. Post-war, around 4,000 children were migrated, mostly to Australia. This report sets out the results of the Inquiry's investigation into the experiences of child migrants, and the extent to which institutions took sufficient care to protect these children from sexual abuse. The investigation also examined the extent to which the institutions involved knew, or should have known, about the sexual abuse of child migrants and how they have responded to any such knowledge. Finally, it considered the adequacy of support and reparations for sexual abuse, if any, which have been provided by the institutions concerned. Although the focus of the Inquiry is on sexual abuse, the accounts of other forms of abuse provide an essential context for understanding the experiences of child migrants. Many witnesses described 'care' regimes which included physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, as well as sexual abuse, in the various settings to which they were sent. Some described constant hunger, medical neglect and poor education, the latter of which had, in several instances, lifelong consequences. By any standards of child care, then or at the present time, all of this was wrong. A former child migrant said his experiences at one school were "better described as torture than abuse", saying he was locked in a place known as 'the dungeon' without food or water for days. Another told of "backbreaking" work on the building of a new school building. Yet another spoke of the failure to give him medical attention, which resulted in the loss of an eye. In some places, there were persistent beatings of boys and girls, and one witness described how he had tried to kill himself at the age of 12. In a particularly awful incident, we heard of the sadistic killing of a pet horse loved by the children, which a group of 15 children were forced to watch as a form of collective punishment for an alleged wrongdoing. This incident took place during what was known as a 'Special Punishment Day' at Clontarf (one of the institutions to which child migrants were sent). This epitomised the brutal and brutalising environment in which many child migrants lived. We heard that there were few, if any, means of reporting abuse and children lived in fear of reprisals if they did so. They were disbelieved and intimidated, often with violence. One witness was told to 'pray' for her abuser, with no further action being taken on the abuse. Another was told not to tell anyone when he reported that he had been raped. For some children, one of the most devastating aspects of their experience was being lied to about their family background, and even about whether their parents were alive or dead. This had a lifelong impact, including on their physical and mental well-being and their ability to form properly, or lost records, effectively robbing these children of their identity. The effects of this carelessness and poor practice cannot be overestimated. The agencies involved in 'sending' children in the migration programmes were mostly voluntary organisations, with a small number being migrated by local authorities. Some organisations, such as the Fairbridge Society and Barnardo's, operated as both sending and receiving institutions, providing schools and homes in the country of migration. Others migrated children to institutions run by other organisations. From evidence available to the Inquiry, there was a sense in which these children were treated by some of the sending institutions as 'commodities' with one institution even referring to its 'requisition' for a specific number of children to be sent to Australia. Many of the voluntary organisations involved failed in their duty to exercise proper monitoring or aftercare, having dispatched children, in some cases as young as 5, to the other side of the world. Although some (such as the Fairbridge Society) had in place a form of post-migration monitoring, these were not robust systems, and some (such as the Sisters of Nazareth, when migrating to Christian Brothers institutions) had no post-migration monitoring system at all. Details: London: The Independent Inquiry, 2018. 174p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed April 28, 2018 at: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/4265/view/Child%20Migration%20Programmes%20Investigation%20Report%20March%202018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/4265/view/Child%20Migration%20Programmes%20Investigation%20Report%20March%202018.pdf Shelf Number: 149948 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild LaborChild MigrantsChild MigrationChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationUnaccompanied Children |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: A Bitter Harvest: Child Labor and Human Rights Abuses on Tobacco Farms in Zimbabwe Summary: Zimbabwe is the world's sixth-largest tobacco producer, and the crop is the country's most valuable export commodity, generating US$933 million in 2016. Human RightsWatch found child labor and human rights abuses on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe risk undermining the sector's contributions to economic growth and improved livelihoods. A Bitter Harvest-based on interviews with 125 people working in tobacco farming-documents how children work in hazardous conditions on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe, often performing tasks that threaten their health and safety or interfere with their education. Child workers are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides, and many suffer symptoms consistent with nicotine poisoning from handling tobacco leaves. Adults working on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe also face serious health risks and labor exploitation. The government and companies have not provided small-scale farmers and hired workers with enough information, training, and equipment to protect themselves from nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure. Employers on some large-scale farms push hired workers to work excessive hours without overtime compensation, and deny or delay their wages, forcing workers to go weeks or months without pay. Tobacco grown in Zimbabwe is purchased by some of the largest multinational tobacco companies in the world. Human Rights Watch urges Zimbabwean authorities and tobacco companies to take urgent steps to end child labor and address the human rights abuses faced by small-scale farmers and hired workers sustaining the tobacco industry Details: New York: HRW, 2018. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2018 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Zimbabwe URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Shelf Number: 150385 Keywords: Child LaborChild MaltreatmentHuman Rights AbusesTobacco Industry |
Author: Kanics, Jyothi, ed. Title: Migrating Alone: Unaccompanied and Separated Children's Migration to Europe Summary: The independent migration of children, while having several characteristics and many links in common with that of adults, has emerged as a specific phenomenon all over the world. The planned, forced or spontaneous decision to abandon the household and country of origin takes on a new dimension when the people involved in a long and often dangerous migration adventure are sometimes just in their early teens. Since the early 1990s, most European countries have been destination or transit points (sometimes both) for these young migrants. When confronted with the migration of unaccompanied and separated children, European national legal frameworks and government policies are known to be in continual conflict between the more or less repressive enforcement of their asylum and/or immigration rules and an ambiguous (but timid) interpretation of the international and national legal instruments created for the care of children 'in need', regardless of their origin or nationality. There is often a marked discrepancy between, on the one hand, the rights to which migrants in general, and child migrants in particular, are entitled according to international legal standards and, on the other, the effective protection they receive and the difficulties they experience in the countries where they live and work and through which they travel. This disparity between the principles agreed to by governments and the reality of individual lives underscores the vulnerability of migrants in terms of dignity and human rights. A major problem for children is that they are considered as migrants before they are considered as children - this automatically lowers their legal protection, as international standards regarding children are much more elaborated and more widely ratified than those regarding migrants. Migrants have rights under two sets of international instruments: first, the core human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the provisions of which apply universally and thus protect migrants; and second, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions that apply specifically to migrants, and to migrant workers in particular. Furthermore, children have rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). But, as with migrants generally, there is no international or regional legislative framework dealing directly with child migrants. Nonetheless, in addition to the ICCPR and ICESCR, norms regarding children's welfare in general and the protection of children from economic exploitation and harmful work are directly or indirectly relevant to children, accompanied or unaccompanied, who are in a process of forced or voluntary movement. Similarly, the protective measures within the CRC, the ILO Conventions on child labour, the UN Protocols on trafficking, and regional instruments are also relevant. Within the European Union (EU) legal framework, the protection of child migrants is very limited and no regional legal framework that adequately addresses this issue is in place. Generally, the ability to migrate or travel legally without an adult is quite limited for children, especially internationally. This means that children migrating alone are more likely to do so irregularly, thus increasing the risk of exploitation or abuse. Research into independent child migration suggests that it is usually older children who are involved in this phenomenon; that child migration is usually highest in regions where adult migration is also high; that independent child migration can be, and often is, a positive decision taken by the child with the aim of improving life opportunities; and that child migrants, like adults, rely on their social and financial resource networks when migrating. The current dominant debate in most European countries is still restricted to the national level and sometimes even to national/regional or local levels. The double or even triple level of competences in most of the national territories implies a significant spread of diverging national practices that shape the treatment of migrant children. The competences regarding immigration and asylum issues (access to the territory, identification, asylum process, immigration status) are generally assumed at national level. However, aspects relating to the care of children (evaluation of the individual situation, reception and care, guardianship or fostering) are often within the competence of regional or local authorities and practices therefore vary widely. This dispersion and confusion, combined with a lack of adequate responses to the main objectives of migrant children, mean that a significant number remain outside the control of the relevant authorities and care institutions. As a result, these unprotected migrant children live in situations of increasing vulnerability and instability as victims of trafficking and exploitation networks or simply surviving on their own, sometimes by committing illicit or unlawful activities. Despite the completion of various research studies on this issue, this reality remains broadly unidentified. The central issues of understanding how this migration is constructed in the contexts of origin, and the different factors playing a role in the migration of these children, require a more extensive examination. To date, hardly any research has been carried out on the children's main countries and regions of origin, which might indicate the main 'push factors' and the motivation behind the increasing number of departures. The main migrant children's profiles, the social and economic situation of their families and the role played by the household and the communities in the migration decision, the choice of the migration route and the function of those encountered during the journey are all key points that remain largely unknown. A better knowledge of these factors will allow not only an understanding of the migration fluxes and phenomena on a more abstract or academic level, but will prove essential if effective protection and respect for these children are to be secured. The desire to find answers to all these questions and uncertainties lay behind the organization of an international conference, 'The Migration of Unaccompanied Minors in Europe: the Contexts of Origin, the Migration Routes and the Reception Systems'. This conference, organized by the research centre MIGRINTER, University of Poitiers-CNRS and the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (based in Belgium) with the support of UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences Sector, was held in Poitiers (France) in October 2007 with the aim of creating a forum for discussion between researchers and practitioners in this field. Experts from over twenty countries participated and exchanged information on three main issues: - a comparative approach to the different legislative frameworks, policies and practices in various European countries and an overview and analysis of the protection offered at European level on the basis of international obligations; - an overview of the situation of children who lack protection in the destination countries; and - an analysis of the situation and definition of childhood and the different profiles of migrant and potential migrant children in the main countries of origin. The present publication brings together the main conclusions of the Poitiers conference. From a selection of the most relevant contributions, it seeks to provide an extensive overview of the main questions and issues outlined above. The contributors come from a wide variety of disciplines, combining mainly legal, sociological and anthropological backgrounds. They generally provide an analytical approach to the different issues from both a descriptive and a critical perspective. The three original parts of the conference have been condensed into two main parts in the book: the first five chapters describe the situation and treatment of unaccompanied and separated migrant and asylum-seeking children in the destination societies; and the following chapters analyse the main contexts of origin of migrant children and the different factors playing a role in migration choices. Details: Paris: UNESCO, 2010. 197p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 26, 2018 at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001907/190796e.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001907/190796e.pdf Shelf Number: 150926 Keywords: Asylum SeekersChild LaborChild Migrants Child Trafficking Immigration Enforcement Refugees Unaccompanied Children Unaccompanied Minors |
Author: Crates, Emma Title: Construction and the Modern Slavery Act: Tackling Exploitation in the UK Summary: This report examines the UK construction industry's response to the Modern Slavery Act and the systemic problems that are eroding the rights of domestic and foreign workers in the sector. Modern slavery is the most extreme example of abusive practices that thrive within fragmented supply chains and aggressive price-driven business models. Whilst the construction sector has many risk indicators of exploitation, the potential scale of the problem in the UK is only just emerging. The report also explores evolving best practice, industry initiatives and emerging legal, social and governance drivers of change. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that more than 40 million people are in modern slavery globally, with 25 million in forced labour. It is commonly assumed that most slavery is concentrated in the developing countries. However, exploitation is increasingly being detected in the world's richest nations. In Europe, nearly three people in every thousand are estimated to be victims of slavery. In the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) is significantly revising upwards its previous estimates of 13,000 modern slavery victims. Slavery is a hidden crime that is a lucrative business model for organised criminals and casual opportunists. A total of 5,145 potential victims were submitted to the government's official register of slavery, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2017. This was a 35% increase on the previous year. Labour exploitation is the NRM's fastest growing category: 1,326 adults and 1,026 children were registered under that category last year. Developed nations such as the UK make appealing targets for exploiters because they can generate high income levels per worker, estimated at US$34,800 a year. Legitimate businesses are more profitable than illegal operations because of higher wage levels. Slavery has been found in every region of the UK. In March 2018 , there were more than 600 live policing operations on modern slavery, from major cities to rural areas. Although low skilled migrant workers are thought to be most at risk of slavery or human trafficking, people of any nationality, educational background or income level can be targeted. Many identified victims of forced labour have a legal right to work in the UK, and a high proportion are British. There is a strong link between homelessness and forced labour. Anyone caught in modern slavery has become vulnerable at some point in his or her recruitment process. Some may have inbuilt vulnerabilities such as addictions, lack of education or inability to speak English, others may be trapped into unsustainable debt by extortionate recruitment fees. Even visas tied to a single employer increase workers' vulnerability to exploitation. Modern slavery and human trafficking are treated as entrepreneurial activities by criminals who continually evolve their operational models to evade detection and infiltrate legitimate businesses. In the past, lack of understanding from industry, police, health workers, enforcement agencies and wider society has led to a low detection rate of modern slavery cases, but the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 has led to a spike in education and training initiatives across the public and private sector, and growing awareness from the general public. Calls to the Modern Slavery Helpline are predicted to rise to 6,000 in 2018. Details: Bracknell, UK:Chartered Institute of Building, 2018. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Dec. 5, 2018 at: https://www.ciob.org/sites/default/files/CIOB%20Report%20on%20UK%20Construction%20and%20the%20Modern%20Slavery%20Act_0.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.ciob.org/sites/default/files/CIOB%20Report%20on%20UK%20Construction%20and%20the%20Modern%20Slavery%20Act_0.pdf Shelf Number: 153914 Keywords: Child LaborConstruction Industry Forced Labor Illegal Practices Labor Practices Migrant Workers Modern Slavery Supply Chains |
Author: Idris, Iffat Title: Interventions to Combat Modern Slavery Summary: Overview This report details findings from evaluations of a range of interventions to combat modern slavery. While there are three broad areas of efforts to tackle modern slavery - prevention, protection and prosecution - the main focus to date has been on prevention and, to a lesser extent, protection; prosecution has received far less attention. The literature indicates that interventions have generally proven to have limited effectiveness. Various evaluations highlight the need for information campaigns to target specific groups and advocate action rather than simply raising awareness. They also call for protection measures to be targeted, and linked to interventions in health, education, social protection and livelihoods. A number of evaluations suggest that legislation banning trafficking, child labour, etc. can be counterproductive: more stress should be put on improving labour and working conditions. Modern slavery is very broad-ranging in scope, covering forced and bonded labour, child labour, sex trafficking, human trafficking and so on. Rather than considering interventions under each type of modern slavery, this review categorises interventions into the following: - prevention - aimed at raising public awareness of modern slavery and its risks; - protection - aimed at empowering victims and helping them rebuild their lives; - prosecution - to support implementation of legislation on modern slavery. Some programmes are cross-cutting, with interventions focused on two or more categories (of prevention, protection and prosecution). Findings from such cross-cutting programmes are given under the most appropriate category. Since this review is designed to support formulation of programmes to tackle modern slavery, its focus is on whether diverse interventions have been effective or not and, crucially, what lessons or recommendations emerge from them that can be applied elsewhere. The main findings are as follows: Information campaigns - it is important that these target specific groups and that they advocate action rather than simply highlighting problems and risks. Baseline assessments can ensure that messaging is appropriate and effective. The priority within campaigns should be on engagement with communities to understand driving factors behind modern slavery and identify suitable interventions - it should not simply be on reaching the maximum number of people (a quantitative exercise). As well as explaining to potential migrants the risks involved and how to carry out safe migration, information campaigns should raise awareness of alternative options that may result in people not having to migrate. Protection measures - these too should be targeted at specific groups, in particular projects for children should be separate from those targeting women and should address their specific concerns. Projects to tackle modern slavery should be linked to interventions in education, health, social protection and livelihoods to increase effectiveness. Prosecution - simply imposing bans on trafficking, child labour, etc. will not be effective, and could even be counterproductive leading to increased vulnerability to trafficking and a rise in child labour. It is important to prioritise labour and working conditions in destinations, rather than simply emphasising prevention. Recent initiatives in the UK and California to increase transparency about modern slavery in company supply chains have had only limited impact. The review drew largely on grey literature, in particular evaluation reports for donor agency programmes. While a number of reports did focus specifically on women, the literature was to a large extent gender blind. The review found no literature looking at the issue of tackling modern slavery from the perspective of persons with disabilities. Details: Birmingham, UK: Knowledge, Evidence, and Learning for Development, 2017. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 11, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a5f23f240f0b652634c6f4d/Interventions-to-combat-modern-slavery.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a5f23f240f0b652634c6f4d/Interventions-to-combat-modern-slavery.pdf Shelf Number: 154119 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborInformation CampaignsModern SlaveryPreventionProsecutionProtectionSex TraffickingTargeted InterventionTraffickingUnited KingdomWorking Conditions |
Author: Callaway, Annie Title: Powering Down Corruption: Tacking Transparency and Human Rights Risks from Congo's Cobalt Mines to Global Supply Chains Summary: The copper and cobalt industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo) has become "a cash cow for those in power in Kinshasa and their acolytes here in the [Lualaba] province," a miner at a cooperative in Kolwezi city told the Enough Project in February, 2018. "It's millions and millions of dollars that they have been reaping to fill their pockets for years." A Congolese representative from a nongovernmental organization focused on natural resource transparency further warned: "The increase in international demand for cobalt is likely to trigger a cobalt rush with more militarization of the mines and more human rights violations. The political and security landscape being volatile in Congo, advocacy organizations and [companies] can choose to be preemptive now or wait [to take action] until the situation gets out of control." These observations encapsulate the precipice on which Congo's cobalt industry rests: continue to be consumed by corrupt or violent actors-as has historically been the case for much of the country's natural resource wealth, including cobalt-or emerge as an example that breaks the exploitation cycle and uses the mounting international market rush as an opportunity to build a responsible, transparent, and stable cobalt sector. As it stands today, cobalt benefits and motivates some of the largest corruption networks in Congo, and is an important source of finance for President Joseph Kabila's regime. The wide spectrum of corruption in the cobalt trade combined with abuses at and around cobalt mine sites and links to state-sanctioned violence and grand corruption forms a crucial pillar in Congo's violent kleptocratic system. It is therefore essential to tackle the underlying issues of corruption and opaque business dealings in order to support correlating goals of peace, human rights, and good governance. Congo produced and estimated 58 percent of the world's cobalt in 2017. With demand increasing and electric vehicle manufacturers and consumer electronics companies scrambling to secure their access to this critical material, there is a nearly unprecedented opportunity for companies to engage proactively and continuously in dedicated supply chain due diligence-or for corrupt networks to make millions in a climate of scarce regulation and oversight. Cobalt is mined on both large-scale and artisanal concessions in Congo, each presenting its own set of challenges. Industrial or large-scale mining (LSM) lacks transparency in several key areas of contracting, subcontracting, and joint venture disclosure practices. Artisanal or small-scale mining (ASM) in some cobalt mining areas has links to illegal and corrupt involvement of armed military actors, nontransparent documentation of production and export data, and human rights abuses such as child labor and hazardous working conditions. Connections back to President Kabila and his regime emerge in both artisanal and industrial mining. If managed transparently and responsibly, cobalt revenues could help alleviate poverty in Congo and be a backbone for development. Especially as Congo implements a new mining code that considerably raises royalties on cobalt, a responsible and transparent trade could, in theory, have nearly unprecedented social and development benefits. To complement these, companies using cobalt to propel forward renewable energy technologies such as electric vehicles and rechargeable batteries could also share the benefits of these technologies with Congo's mining communities. Hundreds of millions of dollars went missing from Congo's state-owned mining company, Gecamines, between 2011 and 2014, with direct ties from this missing money to deals with international copper and cobalt mining companies. The networks of corruption extend beyond Congo's borders to foreign commercial facilitators such as key Kabila financier Dan Gertler, whom the U.S. government sanctioned in 2017 for generating illicit wealth, mainly from corrupt and opaque mining deals in Congo. And several industrial cobalt and copper mining companies operating in Congo are currently under investigation in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada for their potential role in corrupt activities. The scale of potential revenue in this trade dwarfs that of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold - otherwise known collectively as conflict minerals. Although cobalt mines are not located in areas with a history of armed conflict, as was the case with conflict minerals in Congo's Kivu provinces, the cobalt industry is nonetheless connected to violence. The Republican Guard - the president's elite security force - has been documented illegally controlling artisanal mine sites, sometimes through use of violence or threat thereof. These abuses are in addition to the documented accounts of child labor, sexual exploitation, and other violations of human rights. In order to ensure that human rights abuses are not used as a means to an end for corrupt actors looking to access massive profit illicitly, companies must actively incorporate transparency initiatives into their sourcing protocols. Automotive, consumer electronics, and other end-user companies that drive global demand for cobalt have an important opportunity to implement and help enforce transparency and anticorruption measures in order to ensure that their supply chains are responsible and that Congolese citizens are able to benefit from their countrys natural resources. Building on existing frameworks developed to address child labor and other related issues in Congos artisanal cobalt sector, companies should take the opportunity to also establish rigorous processes to enhance contract and ownership transparency and illuminate the opaque linkages to grand corruption and human rights abuses in the global cobalt supply chain, conduct due diligence to mitigate the risks associated with corruption, and create a new standard operating environment in which corruption and human rights abuses are not a part of business. Details: Washington, DC: Enough Project, 2018. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2019 at: https://enoughproject.org/wp-content/uploads/PoweringDownCorruption_Enough_Oct2018-web.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Congo, Democratic Republic URL: https://enoughproject.org/wp-content/uploads/PoweringDownCorruption_Enough_Oct2018-web.pdf Shelf Number: 155035 Keywords: Child LaborCobalt Industry Human Rights Abuses Mining Industry Natural Resources Political Corruption Supply Chains Violence |
Author: Verite Title: Recommendations for Addressing Forced Labor Risk in the Cocoa Sector of Cote D'Ivoire Summary: Forced Labor - and human trafficking for forced labor - have been documented as recently as 2018 in the cocoa sector in Cote d'Ivoire, with one recent study by the Walk Free Foundation and Tulane University estimating the number of victims at approximately 2,000 children and nearly 10,000 adults. In late 2016, Verite completed a qualitative rapid appraisal study to understand the nature of the root causes of forced labor in the Ivoirian cocoa sector using an indicator-based approach grounded in methodological guidance from the International Labor Organization. Verite's research found that some cocoa workers may be at risk of forced labor due to deception or other exploitation in the course of their recruitment, and may face debt bondage and other risks once at their workplaces on cocoa farms. Isolation, nonpayment or exploitative terms of payment, induced indebtedness, and other factors can potentially compound workers' vulnerability to forced labor. Verite found that migrants (from Burkina Faso, Mali, and non-cocoa producing areas of Cote d'Ivoire) who are carrying debt related to their recruitment and migration, and who are relatively early in their employment tenure in the cocoa sector, are the workers most likely to be at risk for these issues. The findings from Verite's research are published separately in the report Assessment of Forced Labor Risk in the Cocoa Sector of Cote d'Ivoire. With support from the International Cocoa Initiative, and in consultation with a range of industry, government, and civil society actors, Verite used these findings as the basis to develop the set of recommendations presented here. Details: Amherst, MA: Author, 2019. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2019 at: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Verite-Recommendations-Forced-Labor-in-Cocoa-in-CDI.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Africa URL: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Verite-Recommendations-Forced-Labor-in-Cocoa-in-CDI.pdf Shelf Number: 155495 Keywords: Child Labor Cocoa Industry Forced Labor Human Rights Abuses Labor Practices Modern Day Slavery |