Why Child Labor and Trafficking Matter in Pakistan

From the Daily Times
VIEW: Child labour: a threat to the future —Mashal Sahir

If poverty justifies child labour, then it should also justify burglary, prostitution, kidnapping, smuggling and all other crimes. Child labour is a much more serious crime compared to others, because unlike other crimes that affect individuals, child labour affects an entire generation

Child labour is work that is unacceptable because the children involved are either too young or because, even though they have attained the minimum age to take up employment, the work that they do is unsuitable for a person below the age of 18. Child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights and has been shown to hinder children’s development. According to the last available statistics, Pakistan has a total population of 158 million, which includes a total of 40 million children, out of which 3.8 million are the victims of child labour. Many children are victims of the worst forms of child labour, such as bonded labour and slavery, and are easily exploited and abused on account of their vulnerability. It was found that of the total population of child labourers, seven percent suffered from illness or injuries frequently and 28 percent occasionally.

Child labour is not an isolated phenomenon. It is the outcome of a multitude of socio-economic factors and poverty is among its most prominent aspects. In Pakistan, around 30 percent of the people are living below the poverty line. Due to the unfair distribution of income, unemployment and inflation, poor parents are forced to send their children to work for economic reasons. In many cases, poverty has also led to the bonded labour of children. There are specific cases of children being pledged or bonded in return for loans to their parent(s) or guardian, notably in the carpet industry and in agriculture. The way children are absorbed and obliged to work varies but, as a matter of routine, the children of bonded families start working as soon as they reach school age, if not before. According to these parents, their actions are completely justified on account of their poverty. However, if poverty justifies child labour, then it should also justify burglary, prostitution, kidnapping, smuggling and all other crimes. Child labour is a much more serious crime compared to others, because unlike other crimes that affect individuals, child labour affects an entire generation. . .

Natural calamities and crises also play a huge role in giving rise to child labour. The recent floods that hit Pakistan can be seen as a major threat to the future of thousands of children. Once the families that have been displaced by the floods return to their homes, they will encourage their children to go to work and help restore the family. Media reports have indicated that children from the flood-hit regions are being promised lucrative jobs, taken away from their families and then being used for sex work. An increase in child labour was noted after the previous natural calamity — the 2005 earthquake. There are fears that this pattern could be repeated.

The gap between the law and its implementation is a serious problem in Pakistan. According to the Child Labour Law in Pakistan, a child cannot be employed before the age of 15, under any circumstances. Moreover, bonded labour, or ‘debt bondage’ is a practice condemned by the UN as being similar to slavery and consequently a violation of Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is considered by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to constitute forced labour and to be a violation of the ILO’s Convention no 29 on forced labour. However, the government has not put its laws into practice to stop child labour and these laws are universally ignored in Pakistan where children aged four to fourteen keep the country’s factories operating, often working in brutal and squalid conditions. . .

The future of Pakistan depends on whether the government chooses to use this recent crisis as a further excuse for spending cuts in key social areas, or whether it seizes the opportunity and mobilises the necessary political will to prioritise the elimination of child labour as a wise investment in future development.

Read the full article here.


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This is a really interesting opinion piece which identifies the reasons why child labor and child trafficking matters in Pakistan (and really everywhere). Child labor in Pakistan largely exists due to poverty but the author also notes the connections between child labor and over-population, quality of education, natural disasters, and problems with law enforcement. In order to fight child labor and trafficking the author suggests the government needs to ensure there is access to quality education, and that there are social protections for poor families.

Perhaps most importantly the author recognizes the connection between healthy, well educated children and the success of a country. When children are unable to attend quality schools they are also unable to learn the skills that would be necessary for improving their family's lives and possibly bringing their family out of poverty. This puts future generations of children at risk for forced and abuse labor.

Ultimately the issue of child labor and trafficking is an issue not only of child psychological and social development, but also of the future economic development and stability of the communities where they live. By turning a blind eye to child labor now, we put future generations at risk for exploitation. At the same time though, without the proper social protections for the poor, many families simply cannot afford to loose the income their children make, however small. This is the conundrum that Pakistan and many developing countries and communities face.

Migrant Workers Melt Like Candles in the Gulf to Give Light to Their Families Back Home

Recent shocking statements made by Chairman K V Shamsudeen of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust (PBWT) divulged that only five percent of Indian expatriates living in Bahrain would lead a comfortable lifestyle from their earnings if they were forced to return home today. These findings reflect the extravagant lifestyles their families are creating with the hard-earned remittances received from their migrant worker relatives and a disregard for responsible saving habits. The Sharjah-based representative said that this problem occurred amongst other national groups as well, including Filipinos, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Pakistanis.

Consequently, the TradeArabia News Source reported that this startling percentage of low and middle income migrant workers from India who have worked in the Gulf States for decades are returning home with little or no resources to further support their families.

The survey from which this information was derived was conducted by the PBWT and included 10,100 migrant workers from India living in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries, including 1,500 from Bahrain who admitted that their sacrifices and self-deprivation in exchange for the well-being of their families back home yielded little long-term benefit.

Shamsudeen stated that only 2% of Indian families were responsibly saving portions of the remittances they receive, and encouraged migrant workers to discuss the harsh and often unforgiving conditions they face while living in the Gulf with their families, as a way to encourage more conservative spending habits, explore wiser investment opportunities, and inspire greater appreciation for the money they receive, especially given the precarious nature of their jobs vis a vis the recent global economic downturn. Shamsudeen eloquently explained that saving in small drops will eventually make an ocean.

80% of workers surveyed were married, but only 10% had their families living with them in the Gulf.

To add insult to injury, migrant workers are often ignored by their families if they do not receive remittances. Families in India were said to not appreciate the sacrifices that their spouses/relatives make while trying to support them; many often enjoy only one meal a day and live in deplorable conditions.

5 Million "Non-Resident Indians" as they are called live and work in the GCC countries, 60% of whom come from the Kerala region in southern India.

This article is particularly au courant given recent initiatives taken by regional governments to forcibly deport migrant workers living in the GCC countries illegally, including Bahrain. Knowing that the hard work invested by these workers will yield nothing once they return home is heart-wrenching.

"How to Buy a Child" Child Trafficking and Child Slavery in Haiti

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone has the right to life and liberty. No one shall be held in slavery.

But at least 27 million people today are held in slavery. What would shock us into action? What if we find out that we can buy a child in Haiti in less than 12 hours? That the buyer could force the child to do anything he/she wanted. What if we learn that a child can be loaned, bought or sold on the 'market' for as little as $100, and if we pressed and bargained, we could bring the 'cost' down to $50?

That's $50 for a 10 year-old child who would act as a sex partner as well as a domestic servant. And what if we find out that in Haiti, slavery still exists today and that currently more than a quarter million Haitian children are loaned and traded, mostly for sex and labor?

An ABC News story, "How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours" and the book, A Crime So Monstrous by Benjamin Skinner, show how easy it is to buy a child in Haiti for around $50 to $150 and do whatever one wants with the child. And that was before the earthquake.

In 1926, the Slavery Convention, in article 1.1., established an international definition of slavery. "Slavery is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised".

With independence, came the end of slavery in Haiti in 1804. Slavery is illegal in Haiti. In fact, slavery is illegal throughout the world. At least, officially anyway. However, according to many estimates, we have more slaves in the world today than at any other point in history. And Haiti is no different.

It is said that, technically, these children, known as restaveks, are not slaves. In Haiti, it is common to lend a child to other families, mainly relatives, to help with extra domestic work. Poor families lend their children to wealthier families and in exchange for the domestic help, those children would receive housing , food, clothing, and education. And some children do receive all this; however, the reality for majority of the children is very different. A restavek child is a servant who is forced to work seven days a week without any pay, is excluded from other children in the family, has no time for play or school, and is subjected to abuse.

Jean-Robert Cadet, who is a former restavek and the founder of Restavek Freedom, has said, "A restavek is a child placed in domestic slavery". A CNN article says, "According to the foundation, restavec children are usually responsible for preparing the household meals, fetching water from the local well, cleaning inside and outside the house, doing laundry and emptying bedpans. They usually sleep on the floor separate from members of the family they serve, and are up at dawn before anyone else to do household work. Sometimes they're physically and sexually abused".

We should not even be talking about slavery today. Throughout history, many agreements and laws have passed to abolish slavery, but still it turns out, there are more than 250,000 thousand children slaves in Haiti. Again, I wonder, what would shock us into action?

And this was the condition before the earthquake. Even before the earthquake, Haiti had a serious problem with child trafficking and slavery.

After the earthquake, the condition has only worsened for these children. These children were far away from their families and now have no where to go. In times of crisis, these children are the first to be thrown out on streets, ready to be picked up by traffickers and sold to exploiters.

Many reports warn of the dangers of child trafficking. Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive has said that he has received reports of child trafficking, including organ trafficking. "Any child that is leaving the country has to be validated by the embassy under a list that they give me, with all the reports," he said.

Legally this may be true, but in reality acquiring papers does not seem very difficult. As pointed out in a shocking ABC News story, it is very easy for traffickers to get fake papers. "As further enticement, the trafficker says he can even get me fake papers that would allow me to take this child back to the U.S. with me. Both traffickers say they have experience providing children to Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, officials have no idea how often this sort of transaction transpires".

Clearly, Haiti needs better laws to protect these children from abuse and slavery, but all this brings up a much deeper question. Slavery is possible only because of the existence of inequality between any two people. In today's world, slavery is not about race or skin color, it is about profit and exploitation of vulnerable members of the society. Many times we've read human trafficking is caused by poverty.

Human trafficking is not caused by poverty; it is caused human traffickers and exploiters, it is a crime committed by criminals and silent observation fuels this problem. We have to attack the root of the problem; we have to attack the root of inequality. Slavery, exploitation, and abuse have existed throughout history, much before population and poverty were a problem, like in our world today. Slavery and exploitation are not new phenomena and human trafficking is just a new name for slavery and exploitation. An increase in population and poverty does not and cannot explain how one human can treat another human this way.

I cannot imagine a more horrifying crime than human trafficking - commodification of human beings so they can be bought and sold on the market, again and again, only to be used and abused by others.

So again I wonder, what is needed for every single person to act and fight against this horrifying crime? What would shock us into action?

The Sao Sary Foundation

In an earlier post, I wrote that by the time someone has been trafficked, we've already failed. The Sao Sary Foundation (SSF) of Cambodia aims to prevent trafficking before it occurs by protecting children from violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination. On the most recent Trafficking In Persons Report, Cambodia was rated as a Tier Two Watch List Country, meaning that "Government of Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Despite these overall efforts, the government did not show evidence of progress in convicting and punishing human trafficking offenders – including complicit public officials – and protecting trafficking victims."

SSF works strategically to prevent trafficking in Cambodia by identifying children who are at high risk. For example, while SSF supports boys and girls, "a special emphasis is placed on protecting girls older than ten years old, as statistics show that they represent the highest risk of being trafficked, primarily for sexual exploitation. Moreover, girls are the most likely to be deprived of the chance to attend school."

According to their website, SSF's mission is to achieve lasting improvements for children living in poverty in Cambodia's poorest communities, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives by:

• Enabling deprived children, their families and their communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from their societies.
• Inspiring deprived children, their families and their communities to socially and economically empower themselves to be agents of change in their own lives and for a more equitable world.
• Preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse against children- including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labour and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage.

SSF provides a variety of services under their Child Protection Program and Livelihood Program, including food security, safe-drinking water/sanitation, basic/emergency needs assistance, and a range of educational programs. One particularly exciting progam is Together for Rights, which works to "mobilize young Cambodian people at-high risk for being trafficked that are under care by the Sao Sary Foundation to become human rights activists."

Unfortunately, according to Vichetr Uon, Executive Director and Founder of SSF, "Sao Sary Foundation is facing an immediate crisis - due to lack of timely funding we may have to terminate our Child Protection Program which currently assists 50 vulnerable children in care ranging from room and board, medical care, education, and vocational skills training. Our program affords them the opportunity to be children and not have to worry about the burdens of finding work to support their families. Such desperation makes them vulnerable to being trafficked."

Click here to donate. Click here for information about volunteer opportunities. Click here for in-kind donations information.

Human trafficking in India Part II: Interview with Dr. Joseph D'souza

"India may appear to be simply another poor country. But it is a very complex culture with a root issue of caste discrimination behind some of our social ills. While we have numerous strengths, perhaps we have hidden our deepest problems due to shame or, because of colonial history, a fear of outsiders meddling in our culture." Dr. Joseph D'souza

If you have seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire," you might have seen the glimpse of the truth behind the caste system and human trafficking in India. Though experts identify illiteracy, corruption, and bureaucracy are causes of human trafficking, the Dalits, people who belong to the lowest caste class in India, are the ones who are mainly vulnerable to the traffickers due to their lack of education. Therefore, according to the Dalit Freedom Network website, Dr. D'souza states that one cannot understand human trafficking in India without understanding the caste system in the society. He is one of the founders of the organization The Dalit Freedom Network and an expert in the field of the Dalits' human rights. I applaud his life-long commitment to the cause and his passion to serve the most vulnerable and marginalized people who cannot speak up for themselves in India.

Q: I know you are the head of the organization the Dalit Freedom Network as well as others. Can you tell us more about your organization?

The Dalit Freedom Network started in 2002 as a result of the cry of Dalits, formerly called untouchables, in India who asked myself and others to give them a voice outside the country. During our travels, we met some Americans who were sympathetic to the plight of Dalits and wanted to do more than complain about injustice. After consulting with Indian leaders, we decided to focus on several proactive projects. We accepted an invitation to start primary schools in at least 100 Dalit communities.

The key is that teaching is in English, the language which empowers Dalits to participate in India’s rapidly growing economy. Second is a medical initiative which ensures students – and their community -- are physically healthy. Third is an economic project to help Dalits provide for their families. This includes micro-loans, economic education, vocational training, and Self-Help Groups. Lastly, we continue to present the issue of Dalit slavery to government bodies and human rights groups through our activities in Washington, D.C. and other places. [Emphasis added]

There are many non-profit groups which are part of the Dalit Freedom Movement including Operation Mobilization. Each has different projects and initiatives, for example, OM USA is helping with a subsidized lunch program at the schools and much more.

Q: Many people are unaware of the issues of human trafficking in relations to the caste system. According to your article published on Sojournors, Slumdog Millionaire’s India: My Sobering reality, the 80% of the Indian population’s lives are subject to somewhat similar to what is described in the movie, “Slumdog Millionaire.” Why do you think that people are unaware of such fact?

Trafficking is a huge issue, both in terms of its negative impact on communities but also in terms of the massive size of slavery today. With all the general information coming from the UN, US State Department, and various non-profit organizations, I know it is easy to miss a particular issue like the nexus of caste and slavery. India may appear to be simply another poor country. But it is a very complex culture with a root issue of caste discrimination behind some of our social ills. While we have numerous strengths, perhaps we have hidden our deepest problems due to shame or, because of colonial history, a fear of outsiders meddling in our culture.[Emphasis added]

But I’m encouraged because the awareness has increased dramatically in the last few years. For example, the UN International Labor Office said in the Report of the Director-General in 2005 that “…the overwhelming majority of bonded labor victims in agriculture, brick making, mining and other sectors are from the Scheduled Castes.” Scheduled castes is the official government term for Dalits. The US State Department has started consistently noting that Dalits are largest community victimized by trafficking in India. For example, the 2006 annual report for Trafficking In Persons said “traffickers usually targeted minors and Dalit women” for the sex trade.[Emphasis added]

Q: What has Indian government done to end human trafficking among the population of low caste system? Did you think that effort was effective? Why or why not?

The Indian government should be applauded for many laws they’ve passed to protect lower caste citizens. The laws heighten penalties for people who attack Dalits. There are good programs which provide economic assistance to poor Dalits who tempted by traffickers’ offers of a few hundred dollars for their sons or daughters. The problem is the implement of justice. The government is trying and must do more to educate police on helping Dalit victims, stop intimidation of witnesses, make sure resources get to the Dalits instead of corrupt officials, and that good judges make decisions in line with the rule of law. [Emphasis added]

Q: President Obama just proclaimed the month of January 2010 as a month to raise the awareness for human trafficking victims. Does an Incident like this affect the policies of Indian government at all in terms of rectifying current issues of human trafficking of Dalit people?

On the one hand, India’s government doesn’t like outside pressure and, for example, has publicly resisted efforts United Nations committees which try to enforce accountability in the area of human rights and the caste issue. On the other hand, there are good people in government who appreciate the truth being spoken by friendly countries like the United States. Comments by Obama or others could encourage them or even create enough momentum to change a policy. In the end, we believe that some international involvement will help especially when we look at the example of how apartheid ended in South Africa. [Emphasis added]

Q: How can international community respond or help the situation of human trafficking and the rights of Dalit people in India?

The U. S. Government could take the lead to address the size and scope of the slave trade in India. They can support efforts by non-governmental groups to combat slavery in India, including special training programs to sensitize and equip Indian authorities to prevent and prosecute human trafficking in India. Americans can encourage their politicians to work on these issues. The average citizen can also help by supporting pro-active efforts to stop trafficking such as sponsoring a child’s elementary education through the Dalit Freedom Network or the lunch program for students through OM USA.

For More Information:
The Dalits Freedom Network
Dr. Joseph D'souza blog
Operation Mobilization

Posted on behalf of Youngbee Kim

Hans Rosling's insights on poverty

*Fast forward to 10:00 minutes into the presentation.

Researcher Hans Rosling uses his innovative data tools to show how countries are pulling themselves out of poverty. His presentation revolves around globalization, health and economic prosperity.

About Hans Rosling:
Even the most worldly and well-traveled among us will have their perspectives shifted by Hans Rosling. A professor of global health at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, his current work focuses on dispelling common myths about the so-called developing world, which, he points out, is no longer worlds away from the west. In fact, most of the third world is on the same trajectory toward health and prosperity, and many countries are moving twice as fast as the west did.