Why child labour is still in effect around the globe
Child labour thrives on the belief that it isn’t our problem to deal with
We all know child labour exists. Whether you’ve glanced at clothing labels and wondered who made your clothes or travelled to places where you’ve seen children at work, each of us knows that in many places around the world, children are working — often in dangerous conditions.
It’s a complex issue, and the context kids find themselves working in are wide ranging, with varying implications on their health and future development. While some work on farms to help their parents, others are forced into jobs in dangerous industries, such as the mining of smartphone metals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the shrimp industry in Thailand or the clothing industry in Bangladesh, where I recently visited.
It can also feel like a distant issue. Most people think that child labour isn’t connected to Canada. But actually, they’re wrong. After visiting children around the world, I can say with conviction that child labour is indeed a Canadian problem.
In Bangladesh, I met girls, such as 13year-old Koli, who spends her day gluing tiny beads onto fabric instead of going to school — for less than $1a day. Other girls our team met told us they started fulltime factory work at 11 and spend12-hour days sewing pockets onto jeans in a factory that makes 1,600 pairs a day.
They shared stories of psychological and physical abuse, how they aren’t allowed to take bathroom breaks or to stay home if they’re sick. And if they make a mistake on one pair of jeans, they don’t get paid for their day of work. These girls are caught in this situation, despite improved local laws — the child labour just becomes more hidden.
Products made by children in developing countries are coming to Canada through a giant network of supply chains with little transparency of the child labour that lurks deep within them. Each year our country imports $1.4 billion worth of garments from Bangladesh, which is home to 1.3 million working children in all industries. From coffee in Central America to sugar in the Philippines, Canada imports products we use every day that have a high risk of child labour attached to them.
World Vision research backs this up and shows that there are at least 1,200 Canadian companies importing $34billion in goods into Canada that may have been made by child labourers overseas. Out of sight, and, unfortunately, out of mind.
This is why child labour still works. Child labour thrives on the belief that it isn’t our problem to deal with. While we put pressure on other governments to eliminate child labour from their own countries, we put little pressure on the Canadian companies that source from these places to try to ensure kids aren’t part of their supply chains.
Canadian companies currently disclose very little about what — if anything — they are doing to address child labour. World Vision is calling on the Canadian government to change that. Our country needs federal legislation that requires companies to publicly report their efforts to monitor, address and prevent child labour in their global supply chains.
This legislation is not a new idea. Similar laws have been passed in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and California. Australia is currently holding an inquiry to see if it should follow suit.
These laws are making a difference and there has been significant corporate change. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the Modern Slavery Act’s 2015 provisions about transparency in the supply chain have already been driving corporate change in this area. One study indicated 39 per cent of companies subsequently implemented new policies and systems, while 58 per cent dramatically increased communication with suppliers — all to help prevent forced and child labour.
Child labour won’t disappear because of Canadian supply chain legislation, but I believe legislation is a vital step in the right direction.
Poverty is a root cause of child labour, and must be addressed, but Canada can show global leadership on the demand side of the equation. And it’s not burdensome regulation.
Legislation will simply hold Canadian companies accountable and give Canadians the peace of mind they want when making purchases.
We can join other nations in putting in place minimum requirements that prompt real action for children. Girls and boys should learn, play and grow up with every opportunity to thrive. That’s what Canadians expect for our children, and we must do our part to make it a reality for all children.