According to available information from an NGO report, two-thirds of the children are male. The polysilicon manufacturers work with the Chinese government to make use of ethnic minority groups for exploitative labor, often receiving financial incentives. Some children inherit the debt of their parents and may be bought and sold between contractors. There are reports that children ages 8 to 17 produce khat in Ethiopia. Reports indicate children from Sichuan, Guangxi, and other provinces are sent to work primarily in Guangdong to make toys. 2021 Dressember | Dressember is a 501 (C)(3) | design by anne agency + marrow design, Danyella Wilder, Dressember2018, human trafficking, modern day slavery, anikka reinertson, lucas moore, forced labor, human trafficking, modern day slavery. Most factories that produce zari, a type of embroidery, are concentrated in Mumbai and Delhi, but many children are trafficked from other locations such as Bihar. "We also meet or exceed international standards, such as those found in the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct; conduct regular independent audits of our suppliers; provide remediation where we find issues; and report our performance transparently.". Published quarterly. Most cobalt-producing mines in the DRC are owned or financed by Chinese companies. The ILO has found that generally children who care for farm animals may be at risk of exposure to potential health consequences, including infections from animal bites and exposure to harmful bacteria. These children are paid little, if at all. ", "Regarding our suppliers: We take the respect for human rights very seriously and as a general principle, all Siemens suppliers must commit themselves to comply with our 'Code of Conduct' for Suppliers. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named Kraft Heinz among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. "We are deeply troubled by the reports of forced labor in and from Xinjiang. Gap issued the following statement in 2020: "At Gap Inc., we have strict policies against the use of involuntary labor of any kind in our supply chain. . There are reports that children are forced to produce cocoa in Nigeria. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named Campbell Soup Company among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. Their days are long, unprotected by unions, and they are often abused by their perpetrators. The Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey considers all work performed by children below age 14 to be child labor. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) maintains a list of goods and their source countries which it has reason to believe are produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards, as required under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2005 and subsequent reauthorizations. .usa-footer .container {max-width:1440px!important;} In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. Brick workers, including children, are forced to work without masks, goggles, gloves, shoes, or other safety equipment. Based on a research study, thousands of children are involved in this type of labor. Some children state that teachers withhold wages for tuition and management fees. This work exposes children to severe health and safety hazards, including drowning, injury, and water-borne disease. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Paraguays commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. While on board the vessels, workers identity documents are often confiscated, the crew spends months at sea without stopping at a port of call, and they are forced to work 18 to 22 hours a day with little rest. There are reports that children ages 7 to 17 harvest potatoes in Lebanon. Children, primarily boys, quarry and break stone in 3 of the 4 regions of Uganda. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Colombias commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. One source estimates that there are as many as 10,000 children working in the sector. Based on information from international humanitarian organizations, thousands of children are engaged in child labor in the cultivation and harvesting of potatoes. Some men have been forced to fish for 20 to 22 hours a day, with little or no pay, and have been subjected to threats and severe physical abuse while at sea. 1307) through issuance of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) and findings to prevent merchandise produced in whole or in part in a foreign country using forced labor from being imported into the United States. Jackie Coleman August 25, 2022. The hospitality industry is yet another environment where individuals are exploited. Based on an analysis of Pakistans Labor Force Survey 20172018, an estimated 25,789 children perform tasks related to the creation of furniture, including gathering the raw materials needed to assemble traditional sofas and chairs. There are reports that men and women working in the production of tea are subjected to forced and bonded labor in India. "Bosch is committed to ensuring that its products are not produced wholly or in part by forced labor. The survey considers a child to be engaged in child labor if the child is working an excessive number of hours per week for his or her age, or if the child is engaged in work that is prohibited for underage employees according to national legislation. "We are not aware of any substantiated reports of forced labor within our supply chains, and we are taking steps to drive further transparency and engagement to confirm our value chain meets the highest standards on Human Rights.". It is widely reported that palm oil harvesters daily targets, which are set by companies, are unachievable within a 7-hour workday, compelling workers to work several hours beyond what the law permits without overtime pay because they fear steep deductions in wages if they do not meet their targets. Some farmers buy the children and refuse to let them leave the farm until the debt of their purchase has been worked off. Many businesses look for people willing to work these terms, which end up turning into temporary seasonal tourism. .dol-alert-status-error .alert-status-container {display:inline;font-size:1.4em;color:#e31c3d;} The U.S. Department of Labor has a list of locations and goods that use forced and child labor. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. Some children are trafficked from rural areas to work in diamond mines, or are sent by their families; these children are often recruited under deceptive terms. Farmers negotiate directly with the schools to mobilize the students to work, and the schools may keep some or all of the children's wages. The survey considers a child to be engaged in child labor if the child is working an excessive number of hours per week for his or her age, or if the child is engaged in work that is prohibited for underage employees according to national legislation. The Government, NGOs, media, and the ILO indicate that some children are forcibly recruited by non-state armed groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the National Liberation Army, and criminal groups to pick coca. Based on an analysis of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, an estimated 19,124 child laborers are involved in the growing of rice. Where companies responded before publication, they have included their relevant clarifications in their report. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Ghanas commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Tobacco estates are concentrated in the Mzimba, Kasungu, Mchinji and Mzimba districts. There are reports that school-aged children harvest sand in Uganda, particularly in the Central, Eastern, and Northeastern regions of the country. #block-googletagmanagerheader .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } According to U.S. government and media reports, school-age children provide duties related to tending and caring for animals, often requiring them to travel long distances from home and be absent from school. Many families take advance loans from brick kiln employers or brokers with a commitment to produce a specified quantity of bricks, and become bonded laborers. Click Share This Page button to display social media links. Some children are forced to work under threat of financial penalties or physical violence, receive little pay, and are denied wages. Those who are most vulnerable are also those most susceptible to being targeted for trafficking. According to the ILO and NGOs, forced child labor is pervasive, particularly in Karen, Shan, and Arakan States near military camps, with children constituting up to 40 percent of forced laborers being used for a variety of activities, including the production of bamboo. Starbucks lists coffees from countries such as Guatamala, Kenya, Costa Rica and Panama; however, none of these single-sourced coffees are certified by them as "Fair Trade." Rather, they are all regions that are known to use child labor. This forced child labor is found in the coastal districts of Borguna, Patuakhali, Chittagong, and Cox's Bazar of the Bay of Bengal, with the highest proportion of children in forced labor working in Bagherhat. At the end of the contract, the factory owner offers another advance payment to the parents, and the boys then return to work for the factory. Children either inherit or are born into debt bondage and are threatened with arrest or are forced to pay additional debt if they try to leave the brick kiln without repaying their debts in full. Approximately 4,714 child laborers raising goats are below the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. NGOs and media sources have documented hundreds of children working in mica across these states. The survey estimates that 9,397 child laborers grow lettuce throughout rural areas in Paraguay. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 raise goats in Paraguay. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified Ralph Lauren among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Paraguays commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. No matter where a person is in the world, everyone needs to eat, and there needs to be someone willing to harvest the food. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named H&M among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. In some cases, children are recruited into the military and forced to live in barracks and work for years in brick production; in other cases, children are sent by their families on rotation to fulfill the military's forced labor mandate for their household. Editor's note, December 19, 2022: A comment from BYD was provided to Insider after publication. There are reports that children ages 6-17 and some younger than age 5 are working under conditions of forced labor to produce bricks in Nepal. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of El Salvadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. @media (max-width: 992px){.usa-js-mobile-nav--active, .usa-mobile_nav-active {overflow: auto!important;}} There is evidence that children under the age of 14 produce baked goods in Pakistan. According to Mexicos national legislation, agricultural activities, which include cattle raising, are considered to be hazardous occupations and are prohibited for children younger than age 18. Children perform hazardous forms of work, including mixing, handling, and spraying pesticides. Factories are often poorly ventilated, with temperatures, at times, rising above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The children often endure these conditions under the threat of dismissal and arrest by immigration police. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 are engaged in cattle raising in El Salvador. We have to be willing to protect those who are exploited through labor trafficking. Based on an analysis of Pakistans Labor Force Survey 20172018, an estimated 23,521 children perform tasks related to the creation of electronic goods. Based on an analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017 2018, an estimated 45,699 children are involved in child labor in the production of textiles. Both men and women are exploited for forced labor in informal brick factories in the Northern Caucasus region of Dagestan; however, victims are primarily male job-seekers recruited in Moscow. According to media reports, approximately 2,000 North Koreans produce timber in Russia. The children are often forced to perform hazardous work, including carrying heavy loads. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Ecuadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. These companies have also been suspected of having direct or indirect ties to Chinese forced labor in the aforementioned reports. Approximately 11,023 child laborers working in fishing are below the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. The results of the Government of Vietnams National Child Labor Survey 2012, published in 2014, show that an estimated 10,224 child laborers are involved in growing rubber. Some children are abducted and trafficked from within Nigeria and from Benin to work in granite quarries and mines in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as the states of Ebonyi, Enugu, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun. Individuals work in remote, isolated plantations with limited freedom of movement and communication. In some cases, children working in gold mining have been trapped in collapsed mines, have suffocated, or have been exposed to mercury. The 2020 Congressional-Executive Commission on China report named Costco among the companies suspected of having ties to forced labor in Xinjiang. Some children are known to be recruited from villages in other parts of Mali to cultivate rice in Niono. Based on an analysis of the survey, an estimated 65,775 child laborers raise poultry. There are reports that children ages 6 to 17 produce sandstone in India. The forced child laborers are not paid for their work, and the children are beaten if their work is considered to be of unacceptable quality. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) establishes a rebuttable presumption that the importation of any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, or produced by certain entities, is prohibited by Section 307 of the