List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor

There is evidence that children under the age of 14 work in the production of electronics in Pakistan. Based on an analysis of Pakistan’s Labor Force Survey 2017–2018, an estimated 23,521 children perform tasks related to the creation of electronic goods. The ILO has found that children who work in sectors requiring intensive manual labor frequently miss days of school and sometimes encounter health hazards related to exposure to the elements, physical injuries, and utilization of dangerous tools. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data analysis is critical to the design and implementation of strong policies and programs.

Urdu Translation

There is evidence that children under the age of 14 produce baked goods in Pakistan. An analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017–2018 considers all work performed by children under age 14 to be child labor. Based on an analysis of the survey, it is estimated that 15,404 child laborers produce baked goods. Children who work in producing baked goods may be at risk of exposure to hazards including working long hours, carrying heavy loads, and exposure to extreme temperatures and toxic fumes. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs.

Urdu Translation

There are reports that children as young as age five are forced to work in coal mines in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Northwest Frontier Province. Some of these children work as bonded labor; under this arrangement, which is typical of the Pakistani “peshgis” system, children work alongside, or in place of, other members of their indebted families. The children are forced to work without protective equipment. Their work involves blasting rocks with dynamite and digging to extract coal in deep narrow shafts below ground. The children are also forced to lead donkeys deep underground and lead them back out hauling the mined coal.

There is evidence that children under 14 work in the production of textiles in Pakistan. Based on an analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017– 2018, an estimated 45,699 children are involved in child labor in the production of textiles. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs.

Urdu Translation

There are reports that children are forced to produce cocoa in Nigeria. The ILO, media pieces, and an academic report indicate that children are trafficked across Nigeria and from Burkina Faso by intermediaries and recruiters to produce cocoa. Children from Cross River and Akwa Ibom states in southeastern Nigeria are particularly vulnerable. Some children are sold by their parents to recruiters. The recruiters are paid for their recruitment of the children; many children receive no pay for their work. Some children are forced to work long hours, including during the hottest hours of the day, leaving them at substantial risk for heat-related illness. The children are forced to perform dangerous tasks, such as using sharp tools, carrying heavy loads, and handling pesticides, without protective equipment.

There are reports that children as young as age 8 mine gold in Nigeria. This practice is especially common in Zamfara state, which has significant gold deposits. Media outlets report hundreds of children work in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) throughout Nigeria, causing them to abandon school. ASGM involves physically demanding work due to the un-mechanized nature and often many occupational safety and health risks. Children use their bare hands and tools to dig for gold in tunnels hundreds of meters below ground, without any protective equipment. Children face additional health risks during the processing stage when they handle mercury, a highly toxic substance, using it to extract gold from ore. Crushing ore to extract gold exposes children to lead-contaminated dust. This exposure can lead to acute lead poisoning and in May 2015 the Government announced the deaths of 28 children from lead poisoning as a result of the illegal mining of gold in Nigeria.

There are reports that children, mostly boys ages 4-17, are forced to quarry granite in Nigeria. Some children are abducted and trafficked from within Nigeria and from Benin to work in granite quarries and mines in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as the states of Ebonyi, Enugu, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun. Reports from the United Nations (UN) and media indicate that between 5,000 and 6,000 children from Benin alone were forced to work in the granite quarries; multiple government rescue operations identified between 50 and 200 children engaged in this work at a time. The children are forced to work up to 16 hours a day, even when they are sick. Many are forced to work under threat of physical violence. Children are often forced to sleep outside and are denied food. Reports indicate that children frequently die while working, having been forced to work under extreme conditions.