According to a UN report, modern slavery is a growing challenge. The International Labour Organisation suggests that about 50 million people, or every person out of 150 people alive, are trapped in forced labor or forced marriages. If you see the number five years ago, it was 10 million. ILO said that these facts are very shocking and worse as well. The director general, Guy Ryder, said that nothing can justify the persistence of this fundamental abuse of human rights.
He also said that we all know what needs to be done and a hands-on deck approach is needed. Trade unions, employers’ organizations, civil society, and ordinary people all have critical roles to play.
The UN labor organization mainly stresses that slavery is not confined to poor countries far away from the western world. And more than half of all the forced labor happens in wealthier countries and the upper middle-income bracket.
We consider forced labor and forced marriages to have the same criteria because they are both situations where a person cannot leave because of threats, deception, violence, and abuse of power. Reports say that the entrapment in forced labor can last years, while in most cases, forced marriage is a life sentence.
A total of 27.6 million people are under forced labor, which includes about 3.3 million children. These children are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation,n which is not good for their physical and mental health. About 22 million people are in forced marriage and two third of the women and victims are under 15 at the time of marriage.
FAQ
- How many people are forced into marriage?
Ans. 22 million
- What is the number showing forced labor?
Ans. 27.6 million
- Who is the director general?
Ans. Guy Ryder