The International Day For The Abolition Of Slavery

“The legacy of the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans reverberates to this day, scarring our societies and impeding equitable development." – United Nations- Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Those of us who are of African ancestry should be appalled and incensed that slavery in any form continues in this age of modernity. We should never forget the horrors of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade that our forefathers and mothers endured during almost four centuries of chattel slavery. The United Nations (UN) estimates that 50 million people are in modern slavery, including 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. Each year The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed on December 2. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery focuses on eradicating modern forms of slavery like trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and forced recruitment of children into armed conflict. The Day is observed on December 2, which marks the same date that the U.N. Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others was adopted by its member states on December 2, 1949, and it is expected to be observed by governments, organizations, and people all around the world as a day specifically set aside to rebuke all forms of modern-day slavery that still exist in the world today. The International Labor Organization puts the number of victims of modern slavery at 40 million worldwide. Modern slavery is not defined by any binding law; however, the word encompasses practices such as forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, human trafficking, and every other situation of exploitation under which a victim is trapped because of threats of violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. Latest estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO) show that forced labour and forced marriage have increased significantly in the last five years. 10 million more people were in modern slavery in 2021 compared to 2016 global estimates, bringing the total to 50 million worldwide. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, and cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious lines. More than half (52 per cent) of all forced labour and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle income or high-income countries. The ILO has adopted a legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016. Main Forms of Modern Slavery Slavery has evolved and manifested itself in different ways throughout history. Today some traditional forms of slavery still persist in their earlier forms, while others have been transformed into new ones. The UN human rights bodies have documented the persistence of old forms of slavery that are embedded in traditional beliefs and customs. These forms of slavery are the result of long-standing discrimination against the most vulnerable groups in societies, such as those regarded as being of low caste, tribal minorities and indigenous peoples. Forced Labour According to the UN, in addition to traditional forms of forced labour, such as bonded labour and debt bondage there now exist more contemporary forms of forced labour, such as migrant workers, who have been trafficked for economic exploitation of every kind in the world economy: work in domestic servitude, the construction industry, the food and garment industry, the agricultural sector and in forced prostitution. Child Labour The world we live in has not been kind to our children. The UN states that almost one in eight of all those in forced labour are children. More than half of these children are in commercial sexual exploitation. Sadly, almost four out of five of those in forced commercial sexual exploitation are women or girls. Many children are abused as child labourers in spite of The Convention on the Rights of the Child which is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations, adopted in 1989. These basic standards also called human rights set minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected by governments. They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability and therefore apply to every human being, everywhere. The Convention comprises 54 articles. The four core principles of the Convention are: non-discrimination; devotion to the best interest of the child; the right to life, survival and development and respect for the views of the child. Jamaica is a signatory to The Convention of the Rights of the Child. Part 1, articles 28-30 are instructive regarding safeguarding the rights of a child to an education. Access to Education- Every child has the right to an education. Primary education should be free. Secondary and higher education should be available to every child. Children should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level possible. Discipline in schools should respect children’s rights and never use violence.

The Way Forward The International Organization for Migration has recommended a number of actions in order to end modern day slavery. They include: improving and enforcing laws and labour inspections; ending state-imposed forced labour; stronger measures to combat forced labour and trafficking in business and supply chains; extending social protection, and strengthening legal protections, including raising the legal age of marriage to 18 without exception. Other measures include addressing the increased risk of trafficking and forced labour for migrant workers, promoting fair and ethical recruitment, and greater support for women, girls and vulnerable individuals. Spread the word; join in the global awareness against the fight to eradicate all forms of slavery. In the words of Desmond Tutu, my humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalDayfortheAbolitionofSlavery #moderndayslavery #childlabour #ILO