Forced Labor
What’s in Your Chocolate this Halloween?
The majority of candy to be handed out this year is chocolate. But did you know that despite generating over $110 billion a year, the chocolate industry has a century-long history of forced and child labor?
‘Modern-Day Slavery’: Many Southern States Have Prison Inmates Working in Governor’s Mansions and Capitol Buildings
When activist Sam Sinyangwe was awaiting a meeting with the governor’s office at the Louisiana state capitol building in Baton Rouge, he noticed something odd. A black man in a dark-blue jumpsuit was printing papers while a correctional guard—with a badge and gun—stood watching over him. The pair stood out against the white, middle-aged legislators populating the building.
Publication of the Month: Labor and Sex Trafficking Among Homeless Youth
Researchers announced findings from the largest-ever combined sample of homeless youth in the United States and Canada, revealing that nearly one-fifth are victims of human trafficking, including those trafficked for sex, labor, or both.
Student Group Drafts anti-Trafficking State Legislation in Rhode Island
It’s been illegal to import goods produced using forced labor since the 1930s. Through legislatively mandated supply chain transparency, we intend to make sure that corporations finally have to follow this law.
Know your rights this May Day
Worker’s rights are a cornerstone of the anti-trafficking movement. Protecting both children and adults from labor exploitation, forced labor, and labor trafficking are essential to mitigating the proliferation of modern day slavery. To celebrate this May Day, we want to make sure everyone reading our blog is aware of their worker’s rights!
The Reason for the Late Tax Day this Year
Every year Washington DC celebrates Emancipation Day to commemorate President Lincoln signing the DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 which ended slavery in Washington DC, freed 3,100 people and reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed people money to emigrate.
Publication of the Month: Combating Child Trafficking and Bonded Labor in Rajasthan
In working to end modern slavery, the Freedom Fund commissioned two local organizations, Praxis and Partners in Change to conduct a feasibility study of an intervention to reduce the exploitation of children in Rajasthan, India.
Plight of Syrian Child Refugees in Lebanon
A report recently released by the Freedom Fund suggests that up to 70 percent of Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon work. They found that forced labor is becoming more common as refugees become more desperate.
Human Trafficking Surrounding the Olympics
The ongoing political, economic and public health crisis in Brazil coupled with the near-total lack of preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games makes this a challenging time for Brazil. Besieged by rumors of shoddy construction, insufficient funds and inadequate planning…
Legislative Efforts to Reduce Labor Exploitation of Immigrant Workers
Recently, a new bill was introduced in Congress that would require greater transparency about foreign guest worker programs in an effort to help prevent labor trafficking and exploitation of such workers when they come to work in the U.S.