Dr Mohamed Kirat
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
In an earlier article we discussed the issue of human trafficking and the alarming situation of millions around the globe who suffer from it. Modern slavery is another shame on humankind. Slavery did not end with its abolition in the 19th century. The practice continues today in one form or another in every country. From women forced into prostitution, children and adults forced to work in agriculture, domestic work, or factories and sweatshops producing goods for global supply chains, entire families forced to work for nothing to pay off generational debts; or girls forced to marry older men, the illegal practice still blights contemporary world. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), around 35 million men, women and children around the world suffer under a form of slavery. There are characteristics that distinguish slavery from other human rights violations, however only one needs to be present for slavery to exist. Someone is in slavery if they are: forced to work — through mental or physical threat; owned or controlled by an ‘employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse; dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’; physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement. Contemporary slavery takes various forms and affects people of all ages, gender and races.
“Slavery is the possession and control of a person in such a way as to significantly deprive that person of his or her individual liberty, with the intent of exploiting that person through their use, management, profit, transfer or disposal. Usually this exercise will be achieved through means such as violence or threats of violence, deception and/or coercion”.
This central feature — the control of one person by another, depriving them of their freedom for the purpose of exploitation — is common to all forms of modern slavery — whether these practices are, either in law or common conversation, called servitude, slavery, forced marriage, bonded labour, debt bondage, forced labour, or human trafficking.
In 2014, modern slavery takes many forms, and is known by many names. Whether it is called human trafficking, forced labour, slavery or slavery-like practices (a category that includes debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, sale or exploitation of children including in armed conflict). Victims of modern slavery have their freedom denied, and are used and controlled and exploited by another person for profit, sex, or the thrill of domination. Today some people are still being born into hereditary slavery, a staggering but harsh reality, particularly in parts of West Africa and South Asia. Other victims are captured or kidnapped before being sold or kept for exploitation, whether through ‘marriage’, unpaid labour on fishing boats, or as domestic workers. Others are tricked and lured into situations they cannot escape from, with false promises of a good job or an education.
Modern slavery can involve using children in the military, whether as combatants, porters, cooks or for other jobs. The chains of modern slavery are not always physical — sometimes escalating debts, intimidation, deception, isolation, fear or even a ‘marriage’ that is forced on a young woman or girl without her consent can be used to hold a person against their will without the need for locks or chains.
Modern slavery is poorly understood, so it remains hidden within houses, communities and worksites. Criminals are creative and will use any available means to conceal, rationalise, and justify slavery — be it race, ethnicity, religion, gender, caste, ‘custom’ or any other excuse or vulnerability they can exploit. Modern slavery is not always as self-evident as some other crimes, such as homicide or even theft. Modern slavery involves an extreme abuse of power, which is not always immediately apparent but requires understanding the people and the relationships involved. While most forms of modern slavery are illegal all over the world, existing information suggests these laws are rarely used and enforced. The 2013 US Trafficking in Persons Report notes that while 46,570 victims of human trafficking were officially identified in 2012, there were only 7,705 prosecutions, and 4,750 convictions recorded globally. The reality of modern slavery is millions of people who cannot walk away, who are trapped and denied freedom and lives of dignity, and bound only to serve and profit the criminals that control them.
Modern slavery is a global issue. Some countries have a bigger problem than others but the crime affects all of us. Human trafficking reaches across borders, and the products of modern slavery flow into global supply chains, into local shops, and ultimately into our homes.
Many of the problems that help modern slavery to flourish are also global: corruption, conflict, poverty, discrimination and the impact of poor or declining economic conditions and adverse environmental change. Nearly every country in the world has committed to prevent and eradicate modern forms of slavery – whether through their national policies and laws, or their agreement to international conventions.
While individuals, civil society organisations, trade unions and businesses all have a role to play, the role of governments in addressing this human rights violation is paramount. Only governments can enact and enforce criminal and other relevant laws. Only governments can ensure that victims are treated as such and not as criminals. Only governments can allocate national budgets to fund law enforcement and other responses. Slavery remains a serious global problem, with 35 million people in various states of forced servitude, including sexual exploitation, debt bondage and forced marriage, according to a recent report.
Mauritania and Haiti have the highest proportion of slaves, while India, Pakistan and China have some of the highest absolute numbers, the Walk Free Foundation said in its first Global Slavery Index report, published recently. The Rashidun Caliphate Umar ibn Al Khattab once said “Since when you have taken people for slaves and they were born free”.
The writer is a professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at the College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University.
The Peninsula
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
In an earlier article we discussed the issue of human trafficking and the alarming situation of millions around the globe who suffer from it. Modern slavery is another shame on humankind. Slavery did not end with its abolition in the 19th century. The practice continues today in one form or another in every country. From women forced into prostitution, children and adults forced to work in agriculture, domestic work, or factories and sweatshops producing goods for global supply chains, entire families forced to work for nothing to pay off generational debts; or girls forced to marry older men, the illegal practice still blights contemporary world. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), around 35 million men, women and children around the world suffer under a form of slavery. There are characteristics that distinguish slavery from other human rights violations, however only one needs to be present for slavery to exist. Someone is in slavery if they are: forced to work — through mental or physical threat; owned or controlled by an ‘employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse; dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’; physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement. Contemporary slavery takes various forms and affects people of all ages, gender and races.
“Slavery is the possession and control of a person in such a way as to significantly deprive that person of his or her individual liberty, with the intent of exploiting that person through their use, management, profit, transfer or disposal. Usually this exercise will be achieved through means such as violence or threats of violence, deception and/or coercion”.
This central feature — the control of one person by another, depriving them of their freedom for the purpose of exploitation — is common to all forms of modern slavery — whether these practices are, either in law or common conversation, called servitude, slavery, forced marriage, bonded labour, debt bondage, forced labour, or human trafficking.
In 2014, modern slavery takes many forms, and is known by many names. Whether it is called human trafficking, forced labour, slavery or slavery-like practices (a category that includes debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, sale or exploitation of children including in armed conflict). Victims of modern slavery have their freedom denied, and are used and controlled and exploited by another person for profit, sex, or the thrill of domination. Today some people are still being born into hereditary slavery, a staggering but harsh reality, particularly in parts of West Africa and South Asia. Other victims are captured or kidnapped before being sold or kept for exploitation, whether through ‘marriage’, unpaid labour on fishing boats, or as domestic workers. Others are tricked and lured into situations they cannot escape from, with false promises of a good job or an education.
Modern slavery can involve using children in the military, whether as combatants, porters, cooks or for other jobs. The chains of modern slavery are not always physical — sometimes escalating debts, intimidation, deception, isolation, fear or even a ‘marriage’ that is forced on a young woman or girl without her consent can be used to hold a person against their will without the need for locks or chains.
Modern slavery is poorly understood, so it remains hidden within houses, communities and worksites. Criminals are creative and will use any available means to conceal, rationalise, and justify slavery — be it race, ethnicity, religion, gender, caste, ‘custom’ or any other excuse or vulnerability they can exploit. Modern slavery is not always as self-evident as some other crimes, such as homicide or even theft. Modern slavery involves an extreme abuse of power, which is not always immediately apparent but requires understanding the people and the relationships involved. While most forms of modern slavery are illegal all over the world, existing information suggests these laws are rarely used and enforced. The 2013 US Trafficking in Persons Report notes that while 46,570 victims of human trafficking were officially identified in 2012, there were only 7,705 prosecutions, and 4,750 convictions recorded globally. The reality of modern slavery is millions of people who cannot walk away, who are trapped and denied freedom and lives of dignity, and bound only to serve and profit the criminals that control them.
Modern slavery is a global issue. Some countries have a bigger problem than others but the crime affects all of us. Human trafficking reaches across borders, and the products of modern slavery flow into global supply chains, into local shops, and ultimately into our homes.
Many of the problems that help modern slavery to flourish are also global: corruption, conflict, poverty, discrimination and the impact of poor or declining economic conditions and adverse environmental change. Nearly every country in the world has committed to prevent and eradicate modern forms of slavery – whether through their national policies and laws, or their agreement to international conventions.
While individuals, civil society organisations, trade unions and businesses all have a role to play, the role of governments in addressing this human rights violation is paramount. Only governments can enact and enforce criminal and other relevant laws. Only governments can ensure that victims are treated as such and not as criminals. Only governments can allocate national budgets to fund law enforcement and other responses. Slavery remains a serious global problem, with 35 million people in various states of forced servitude, including sexual exploitation, debt bondage and forced marriage, according to a recent report.
Mauritania and Haiti have the highest proportion of slaves, while India, Pakistan and China have some of the highest absolute numbers, the Walk Free Foundation said in its first Global Slavery Index report, published recently. The Rashidun Caliphate Umar ibn Al Khattab once said “Since when you have taken people for slaves and they were born free”.
The writer is a professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at the College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University.
The Peninsula
