The Truths and Horrors of Child Labor
Chapter One
Child Labor is a major problem in Europe, Africa, Asia and many other parts of the world. Child labor is work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. Child labor is a disease of the world and together we can all find a cure. There are many different types of child labor. There is human trafficking, agriculture, soldiering, and migrant child labor. Human Trafficking In countries such as Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan, Thailand, Israel, and Italy and beyond young girls are kidnapped, lured, and sold into sexual slavery. Once they have been forced into this lifestyle in order to “train” their victims many pimps rape, gang rape, beat, use violence, drugs, confinement, and starvation to break down the girls’ self-esteem, make them scared to leave, and influence the use of heavy drugs such as cocaine or heroin. Some victims are sold to a pimp by a family member. Ten year old Gita suffered through this. Gita was sold into a brothel by her aunt, when she refused to work the older girls held her down and stuck a piece of cloth in her mouth to silence her screams, as she was raped by a customer. Young Gita later contracted HIV. Gita is one of millions of girls who have been raped or given an STD due to human trafficking. Human trafficking is directly linked to the spread of HIV and AIDS. Pimps will target anyone. Even manipulate handicapped girls suffering from Down syndrome by promising them a better life. Pimps also target virgins. On the Japanese and Indian markets girls can sell their virginity for millions of dollars to the highest bidder. A study done in 2003 showed a single sex slave could make her pimp $250,000. Human trafficking around the globe is estimated to generate from nine billion to 31.6 billion dollars. According to Ludwig “Tarzan” Fainberg a convicted trafficker “You can buy a woman for $10,000 and make it back in week if she pretty and young. Then everything else is profit.” This shows how many traffickers think. Many traffickers who are greedy, overzealous and want to make even more money will impregnate the girls then sell the babies on the black market. Corrupt governments and the revenue human trafficking creates makes it a thriving business. Human trafficking also occurs here in the U.S mainly in California, New York and Florida. According to historyfacts.com 27 million victims are adults and a devastating 13 million are children. This is important because it shows how human trafficking is very alive and effecting millions of people around the globe. Males also endure the horrifying and despicable truths of human trafficking. Males are largely trafficked in the U.K and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan and Coastal Sri Lanka boys are more likely to be sold into prostitution because they are seen as dominant. In Afghanistan boys are taught to dress like women and dance in front of groups of men. After being sold boys are often taken to motels and sexually abused. If they dare refuse to work they are beaten by one of the other boys or trafficker. These boys endure things that are unspeakable. In the U.K forty one percent of boys are victims of human trafficking. After a “difficult customer” some boys are instructed to kill or mutilate their private area. There is very little information on male trafficking because many boys are embarrassed or ashamed to talk about what they experienced as a male prostitute. Soldiering
Although there was little information on male human trafficking there is plenty information about soldiering. Although there are no specific numbers thousands of males under the age of eighteen are child soldiers or part of a militia. In countries like Nepal, Siri Lanka, and Uganda have female soldiers. Most times the girls are raped or given to army commanders as wives. Children are vulnerable to military recruitment because of their emotional and