Modern Day Child Slavery
Modern Day Child Slavery Typical American youth spend the majority of their time turning on, turning up and tuning in to their personal technology. Children can command their iPads, iPhones and iPods with a single touch. While most adolescents find their day controlling technology around them, that is not the case for their international counterparts. Nearly 215 million children and teens worldwide spend their time struggling to break free from controlling worlds where freedom is just a dream (International Labor Organization). Childhood slavery is a violation of human rights that needs to be recognized and remedied. In poverty-stricken Meerut, India, young boys hunch over for hours on end, attempting to sew soccer panels
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together with extremely sharp needles. Covered in cuts and gashes, they work in nauseating conditions, all to form a soccer ball that is embellished with a “Child Labor Free” label (Stop Child & Forced Labor). According to Worldvision.ca, “Human trafficking is the action of putting or keeping a person in an exploitable situation impossible to escape from. Essentially it is a crime that violates a person’s fundamental rights, thus being modern day slavery.” Moreover, 9 out of 10 trafficked humans are forced to labor in boats, farms, sweatshops and factories, proving that human trafficking is more than just prostitution. It actually involves two different levels of human rights violations: (1) Child Labor: work that negatively affects children and deprives them of their childhood and (2) The Worst Forms of Child Labor: types of work that are particularly dangerous and harmful for children (World Vision Canada). This often includes grimy and disgraceful chores. Sadly, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNICEF) assume about 126 million adolescent workers fall under The Worst Forms of Child Labor (World Vision Canada). Numerous reports corroborate these statistics and detail a very bleak picture for many of the world’s youth. Recently, a group of CNN journalists has discovered trafficking, slavery and child labor to be extremely prevalent in industries that create some of the world’s most famous brands.
Gap, Nestlé and Victoria's Secret are three main corporations that CNN’s Freedom Project exposed. Billion dollar companies, like Nestlé chocolates, rely on underaged children to harvest cocoa beans in extreme conditions. One laborer, Abdul, is a ten year old boy who works day after day, hacking at cocoa pods to reveal cocoa beans. Although Abdul has worked this job for over three years, he has nothing but the ripped clothes on his back, food every so often and scars from a machete (McKenzie). Abdul has never had chocolate, never gone to school and never seen technology. All he knows is work. Victoria Secret also employs children to pick cotton for lingerie items. In Burkina Faso, a small country in Africa, Clarisse and other children work 15 hour days, bending at the waist (Simpson). During harvest, Clarisse works in 100 degree weather picking cotton from a strip of land equivalent to four American football fields (Simpson). Her boss gives her the occasional beating, and if she’s lucky, a meal once a day. Lean and strong, Clarisse doesn’t have a bed, toilet or pay. She is a modern day slave. Gap also recently admitted using child labor in India. According to one ABC News Report “......children were working without pay as virtual slaves in filthy conditions, with a single, backed-up toilet and bowls of rice covered in flies. They slept on the roof (Brown).” Although CNN reports these companies are working with the UNICEF to try and stop the labor, they could do better (McKenzie). Big corporations need to step into action and stop childhood slavery before it’s too
late. Businesses might not show any signs of effort to try and stop these tragic situations, but there are ways the public can minimize child labor. First, society can become aware of the problem. By learning about Abdul, Clarisse and other suffering children, the public can gain greater perspective on how deprived adolescents live. Second, people can become involved. Signing petitions, telling others about the problem and avoiding shopping at certain child labor companies could send a serious message from consumers. If more people realize Gap, Nestlé and Victoria Secret’s business practices, no doubt these companies will lose sale profit. There are also certain websites that allow people to support developing countries who desire equipment over child slaves. One specific example is vibha.org. This website focuses on “....ensuring that every underprivileged child attains his or her right to education, health and opportunity (VIBHA).” There are numerous ways to help VIBHA and its mission, but the most common option is to make a simple donation. Last, society and children in America need to be thankful. When one child cries because they didn’t get an iPad for Christmas, another is crying because he/she hasn’t eaten in days. Most children in America are extremely privileged, and because of this they need to be thankful. Learning and educating the public about compromised youth can benefit the lives of everyone. Picture a small child sitting in a dark and musty sweatshop with his bones prominently sticking through his skin. He is tortured, neglected and deprived of every worldly comfort. For what? His pain and suffering are the real cost of a pair of Gap jeans. All these kids long for is a healthy childhood. Modern day childhood slavery is an ongoing occurrence and can only be stopped if people become aware, involved and thankful.With today’s technology children and teens can have what they want when they want it. It’s time we want an end to childhood slavery.
together with extremely sharp needles. Covered in cuts and gashes, they work in nauseating conditions, all to form a soccer ball that is embellished with a “Child Labor Free” label (Stop Child & Forced Labor). According to Worldvision.ca, “Human trafficking is the action of putting or keeping a person in an exploitable situation impossible to escape from. Essentially it is a crime that violates a person’s fundamental rights, thus being modern day slavery.” Moreover, 9 out of 10 trafficked humans are forced to labor in boats, farms, sweatshops and factories, proving that human trafficking is more than just prostitution. It actually involves two different levels of human rights violations: (1) Child Labor: work that negatively affects children and deprives them of their childhood and (2) The Worst Forms of Child Labor: types of work that are particularly dangerous and harmful for children (World Vision Canada). This often includes grimy and disgraceful chores. Sadly, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNICEF) assume about 126 million adolescent workers fall under The Worst Forms of Child Labor (World Vision Canada). Numerous reports corroborate these statistics and detail a very bleak picture for many of the world’s youth. Recently, a group of CNN journalists has discovered trafficking, slavery and child labor to be extremely prevalent in industries that create some of the world’s most famous brands.
Gap, Nestlé and Victoria's Secret are three main corporations that CNN’s Freedom Project exposed. Billion dollar companies, like Nestlé chocolates, rely on underaged children to harvest cocoa beans in extreme conditions. One laborer, Abdul, is a ten year old boy who works day after day, hacking at cocoa pods to reveal cocoa beans. Although Abdul has worked this job for over three years, he has nothing but the ripped clothes on his back, food every so often and scars from a machete (McKenzie). Abdul has never had chocolate, never gone to school and never seen technology. All he knows is work. Victoria Secret also employs children to pick cotton for lingerie items. In Burkina Faso, a small country in Africa, Clarisse and other children work 15 hour days, bending at the waist (Simpson). During harvest, Clarisse works in 100 degree weather picking cotton from a strip of land equivalent to four American football fields (Simpson). Her boss gives her the occasional beating, and if she’s lucky, a meal once a day. Lean and strong, Clarisse doesn’t have a bed, toilet or pay. She is a modern day slave. Gap also recently admitted using child labor in India. According to one ABC News Report “......children were working without pay as virtual slaves in filthy conditions, with a single, backed-up toilet and bowls of rice covered in flies. They slept on the roof (Brown).” Although CNN reports these companies are working with the UNICEF to try and stop the labor, they could do better (McKenzie). Big corporations need to step into action and stop childhood slavery before it’s too
late. Businesses might not show any signs of effort to try and stop these tragic situations, but there are ways the public can minimize child labor. First, society can become aware of the problem. By learning about Abdul, Clarisse and other suffering children, the public can gain greater perspective on how deprived adolescents live. Second, people can become involved. Signing petitions, telling others about the problem and avoiding shopping at certain child labor companies could send a serious message from consumers. If more people realize Gap, Nestlé and Victoria Secret’s business practices, no doubt these companies will lose sale profit. There are also certain websites that allow people to support developing countries who desire equipment over child slaves. One specific example is vibha.org. This website focuses on “....ensuring that every underprivileged child attains his or her right to education, health and opportunity (VIBHA).” There are numerous ways to help VIBHA and its mission, but the most common option is to make a simple donation. Last, society and children in America need to be thankful. When one child cries because they didn’t get an iPad for Christmas, another is crying because he/she hasn’t eaten in days. Most children in America are extremely privileged, and because of this they need to be thankful. Learning and educating the public about compromised youth can benefit the lives of everyone. Picture a small child sitting in a dark and musty sweatshop with his bones prominently sticking through his skin. He is tortured, neglected and deprived of every worldly comfort. For what? His pain and suffering are the real cost of a pair of Gap jeans. All these kids long for is a healthy childhood. Modern day childhood slavery is an ongoing occurrence and can only be stopped if people become aware, involved and thankful.With today’s technology children and teens can have what they want when they want it. It’s time we want an end to childhood slavery.