Despite the fact that many people Why do children work? believe that slavery no longer exists, the International Labour Most children work because their Organization (ILO) estimated that families are poor and their labour is there are some 5.5 million children necessary for their survival. in slavery across the world. Children are often employed Child slavery is often confused with because, compared to adults, they child labour, but is much worse. are more easily controlled and are Whilst child labour is harmful for unlikely to demand higher wages or children and hinders their education better working conditions. and development, child slavery For many children, school is not an occurs when a child’s labour is option. Education can be expensive, exploited for someone’s else gain. Said (13) and Yarg (16) or schoola are physically The brothers were born into slavery inaccessible. in a wealthy family in Mauritania. They worked all day from a very As well as being a result of poverty, early age whilst their master’s child labour also perpetuates children went to school and played poverty. Many working children do football. not have the opportunity to go to school and often grow up to be “We weren’t allowed to eat the unskilled adults trapped in poorly same food as the rest of the family, paid jobs. or sleep in the same rooms, or wear the same clothes. They would beat Photo: Child bonded labourer in India’s brick kiln I had to work seventeen hours Credit: Bharat Patel us for any reason at all.” a day and they gave me no time This group of children includes: The boys managed to escape five off. My employer never showed • Children who are used by others years ago. With our help, their me kindness, she kept insulting to profit from them, often through master became the first slave-owner me. After three years, as her violence, abuse and threats, in ever prosecuted for slavery. children grew older, she just prostitution or pornography, illicit However, he was released on bail threw me out. until the appeal, which still hasn’t activities, such as forced begging, Minjiza Daniel, former child domestic petty theft, and the drug trade; taken place. worker in Tanzania
• Forced child labour, for example in But the boys are free. “Now our lives have changed: we have friends, and agriculture, factories, construction, Although the number of children in we can refuse to do anything we brick kilns, mines, bars, the tourist child labour has fallen by a third in don’t want to do.” industry or domestic work; recent years, the number of children in slavery hasn’t significantly changed since 2005. “We had to get up early to work • Children who are forced to take part in armed conflict. This means that most vulnerable and came back to the house children haven’t been reached by late. Once I cut myself with a • Children forced to marry, when international development machete but I didn’t receive they have not consented to programmes. This is why Anti- any care.” marriage, are exploited within it Slavery campaigned to include Boromo, 15, trafficked into a cocoa or/and are not able to leave the eradication of slavery in the 2015 farm in Ivory Coast marriage. Sustainable Development Goals. Fact sheet: child slavery
Child work, child labour, child Facts about child slavery? slavery Child work Some types of work make useful, 5.5 million children are in positive contributions to a child's slavery, trafficking, debt bondage development, helping them learn and other forms of forced labour, useful skills. Often, work is a vital forced recruitment for armed source of income for their families. conflict, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities (ILO) Child labour Child labour is not slavery, but 168 million are estimated nevertheless hinders children’s education and development. Child to be in child labour (ILO) labour tends to be undertaken when the child is in the care of their 120 million child labourers parents. Photo: Child domestic worker in Peru are below the age of 14 (ILO) Worst forms of child labour Children in armed conflicts 85 million children are in “Hazardous work,” otherwise known Children forced to take part in armed hazardous work that directly as the worst forms of child labour, is conflicts don't only include child work that irreversibly threatens endangers their health, safety and soldiers but also porters or girls children’s health and development, moral development (ILO) taken as “wives” for soldiers and through, for example, exposure to militia members. Children involved in dangerous machinery or toxic conflict are severely affected by their 70 million women aged substances, and may even endanger experiences and can suffer from between 20-24 had been married their lives. long-term trauma. before the age of 18 Child slavery Child slavery is the enforced Our work to end child slavery 300,000 children are exploitation of a child for their We work to support, protect and estimated to serve as child labour for someone else’s gain. soldiers, some even younger than empower child domestic workers in Peru and Tanzania 10 years old (UNICEF) Child Trafficking Trafficking involves transporting, We work with local communities 15.5 million children are in recruiting or harbouring people for and lobby the government to stop domestic work worldwide – the purpose of exploitation, using children being forced to beg in overwhelming majority of them violence, threats or coercion. When Qu’ranic schools in Senegal children are trafficked, no violence, girls (ILO) deception or coercion needs to be We established six schools to involved, trafficking is merely the act provide education to children in 981 children were referred to of transporting or harbouring them communities affected by slavery in authorities in the UK as potential for exploitative work. Away from their Niger victims of trafficking in 2015 families, they are at the mercy of their employers. We work to protect and provide education to children of bonded labourers in India’s brick kilns “If you try to run they shoot Child marriage you and you die. If you stop Many marriages involving children We advocate for protection of working, they beat you. It was will not amount to slavery, unaccompanied refugee children just like the slave trade” particularly between couples aged 16 across Europe to 18 years. But when a child didn’t Twins Aimamo and Ibrahim, 16, from Gambia, subjected to forced labour give their consent to a marriage, is We press for implementation of on a farm in Morocco, during their exploited within it, or is not able to Child Guardianship schemes to attempt to get to Europe. leave one, that child is in slavery. protect trafficked children in the UK
Anti-Slavery International, Thomas Clarkson House, The Stableyard, Broomgrove Road, London SW9 9TL, UK UK Registered charity no. 1049160 and Company Registered in England and Wales No. 3079904 www.antislavery.org