Modern slavery: 50 million — mostly women, children, and migrants — still trapped in forced labour and marriages, UN asserts

Somewhere between the sweltering fumes of cramped traffic roads and the gruelling routine of the hustle culture, we’ve all wondered whether all this effort was worth it. Sure, there would come some struggle till the following income, but most of us can boast some support structures to fall back on. The truth is, for many of us reading this article, quitting remains an option, or even a stepping stone, when the going gets tough.

However, this is not the case for about 50 million people worldwide, whom the United Nations deems as being in tragic ‘modern slavery’. Here’s how they figure: as of 2021, at least 28 million still suffer from forced labour, while the remaining 22 million endure forced marriages. These figures are part of the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, published by the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and international human rights group Walk Free.

The causes are simple — long-established social hierarchy, patriarchal practices, commercial exploitation, and an inability of governments and institutions to collaborate effectively to fix a problem that should not exist in the 21st century. People trapped in forced marriages are almost always there due to familial pressure and the lack of support structure, and the UN acknowledges that the actual numbers are likely far greater than these estimates that are based on a narrow definition. Even in terms of forced labour, particular groups like migrant workers are far more likely to experience modern slavery than others.

“It is shocking that the situation of modern slavery is not improving,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. “Nothing can justify the persistence of this fundamental abuse of human rights.”

Women and children most exploited

What’s unfortunately not unusual, however, is that these are also issues that disproportionately affect women and children. An astonishing 23% of almost all forced labour cases fall prey to commercial sexual exploitation — and four out of five times, it’s a female victim.

Similarly, if you had to make everyone trapped in state-imposed forced labour — accounting for 14 per cent of all — in a line, you’d sadly notice that every eighth person would be a child. Worse yet, more than half of these 3.3 million kids subjected to forced labour are clenched in the wrathful teeth of commercial sexual exploitation.

In addition, 75% of all forced marriages were found in lower-class and low-income countries. But in terms of forced labour, the stats stand in contrast, with more than half occurring in upper-middle or higher-income nations. Migrant workers significantly assist the communities they migrated to but are three times as vulnerable to falling prey to forced labour compared to other adult workers.

The solution

It is no new revelation that societal retribution is the need of the hour. To end these forms of ‘modern slavery’, the UN suggests improving and enforcing better labour laws, measures must be put in place to combat forced labour much more effectively, and social and legal protections must be extended. It is also high time all governments raise the legally mandated marriage age of 18 and effectively implement the regulation.

“Reducing the vulnerability of migrants to forced labour and trafficking in persons depends first and foremost on national policy and legal frameworks that respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants – and potential migrants – at all stages of the migration process, regardless of their migration status,” explains International Organization for Migration Director-General António Vitorino.

These existing practices violate at least five sustainable development goals, such as gender equality and reduced inequalities, and much work has to be done to reverse such trends. Collaboration between all facets of society is paramount to ensure these aspirations grow out of pipe dreams. As we pursue the dream of sustainable development for all, we must ensure that the world has not left the most vulnerable behind!

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