UN: Children working slave-like conditio

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Registered: 03-23-2003
UN: Children working slave-like conditio
2
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 2:33pm

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=UN%20Child%20Labor


Thursday, June 10, 2004 · Last updated 10:54 a.m. PT


UN: Children working slave-like conditions


By JONATHAN FOWLER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


GENEVA -- An estimated 10 million children worldwide are forced to work in slave-like conditions as domestic servants in private homes, the United Nations' labor agency said Thursday.


The International Labor Organization said in a new report that in parts of West Africa, Central America and Asia, thousands of girls as young as 8 work 15 or more hours a day, seven days a week, for little or no pay.


The child workers - who are employed in homes where having servants is a sign of social status - are sometimes sexually abused. Some even forget their own names after being called simply "girl" or "boy" for years, the study found.


More troubling was that employing children as domestic servants is accepted or tolerated in many places, said June Kane, author of the 112-page ILO study.


"Sadly, many countries don't see domestic child labor as a problem," she said.


The report found South Africa had the highest number of children working as servants - 2 million. Other countries with high numbers of working children were Indonesia, with 700,000; Brazil, with 559,000; and Pakistan, with 264,000.


In some homes, child servants must light fires before their employer's family wakes up. They cook, clean and take other children to school, Kane said.


When they are considered too old, many are kicked out by their employers but end up living on the streets because they have no idea how - or where - to find their families.


Putting children to work is often considered an alternative for poor families who cannot afford to feed them, the study found. Parents rarely receive money from their children's labors.


Domestic service also is seen as preparation for marriage for girls and employers are often viewed as benefactors, the study said. Increasing numbers of AIDS orphans and the traditionally low status of women and girls in many countries also push children into domestic labor.


Human Rights Watch said it had found similar problems.


"Child domestic workers around the world endure abuse as well as exploitation," said Jo Becker, head of the U.S.-based group's campaign for youngsters.


The ILO estimates about 246 million children worldwide have jobs which take up all or most of the time they could spend in school. Of that number, nearly half are involved in what the agency calls the "worst forms of child labor" - prostitution, mining and slave labor in different industries.


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On the Net:


International Labor Organization: http://www.ilo.org


Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Fri, 06-11-2004 - 2:33pm

Heartbreaking that some have so little & we have too much.


I'm speechless when confronted with such hoplessness.

cl-Libraone~

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 9:33am

TRAFFICKERS SMUGGLE 800,000 PEOPLE.


http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=87250&region=4


Up to 800,000 people are being smuggled across borders around the world each year by human traffickers, according to the US State Department.

The Department on Monday released its fourth annual worldwide report on efforts of government to combat severe forms of human trafficking.

Secretary of State Colin Powell introduced the report with a warning that the profits from human trafficking may be being used to finance terrorism. (Me: If this is the case or not something needs to be done to stop this aweful trade.)

Mr Powell said: “Trafficking is linked to international crime syndicates that peddle drugs, guns and false documents as well as peddling people.

“Trafficking is a global public health threat that spreads HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.”

He added: “Trafficking is also a global security threat because profits from trafficking finance still more crime and violence including, very likely, terrorist violence."

Mr Powell said trafficking – which the US report lists as one of the world’s fastest growing criminal activities - involves victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into sexual or labour exploitation.

Annually, at least 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across borders worldwide, including 14,500 - 17,500 into the US. (Me: These #'s appear lower than what I would have guessed.)

People are coerced into trafficking by various means - sometimes physical force is used or false promises are made regarding a legitimate job or marriage in a foreign country to entrap victims into prostitution, pornography and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation or slavery-like labour conditions in factories and fields.

Victims often suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, passport theft, and physical restraint.

As the report was launched the US cited 10 nations for failing to adequately fight international sex trafficking, opening the way for possible sanctions, but removed five countries that made its blacklist last year.

Along with perennial US sanctions targets Cuba, Myanmar, North Korea and Sudan; Bangladesh, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Venezuela were singled out for not doing enough to combat the problem.

Unless those countries demonstrably improve their records’ by October, they will be subjected to sanctions.

Bangladesh, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Venezuela are newcomers to the list which can lead to cutoffs in non-humanitarian and non-trade-related US aid, said the State Department.

Among those nations removed from the list were NATO allies Greece and Turkey, which had protested their inclusion in the 2003 "Trafficking in Persons" report along with US anti-terror allies Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.

Others removed include Belize, Bosnia, the Dominican Republic, Georgia and Suriname - all of which were have found to have made significant improvements in their cooperation in fighting trafficking.

cl-Libraone~

 


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