List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor

There are reports that children from Bolivia are forced to produce garments in informal workshops in the city of Buenos Aires and its surrounding municipalities. According to media outlets, NGOs, and government officials, some children from Bolivia are victims of deceptive recruitment and trafficking with false promises of decent working conditions and fair wages. Once in Argentina, these children have restricted freedom of movement, their identity documents are confiscated, they live and work within locked factories, and they are too fearful to leave due to threats of imprisonment. Some end up in conditions of bonded labor, in debt for fees that were charged for transport to Argentina, and are prohibited from leaving their workplaces for years until the debt is paid through wage deductions. These children suffer physical and verbal abuse from their employers, and are only given one meal per day. Some children are forced to work excessive hours, up to 20 hours per day.

Spanish translation

There are reports that adults are working under forced labor conditions to produce garments in Bangladesh. Multiple surveys have reported that workers in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry are subjected to excessive working hours beyond what is legally allowed, forced overtime, and withholding compensation. Furthermore, workers are subjected to physical and verbal abuse for not meeting targets. Women are often victims of physical and sexual abuse, including as punishment for not meeting targets.

Bengali Translation

There are reports that children ages 12 to 17, mainly girls, produce garments in Burma. According to international organizations and NGOs, child labor in the garment industry is concentrated in Yangon State. For example, research has found at least eight garment factories in Yangon State with incidents of child labor, and reports indicate that child labor remains present in the industry. Though the government has placed legal restrictions on working hours and types of work for children under age 18, there are reports that children work the same hours as adults with higher risks of abuse. There are reports of supervisors or shift leaders physically punishing children if they make mistakes in their work. Some children carry heavy bags and boxes and work long hours, sometimes up to 15-16 hours per day or 60 hours per week, and late into the night. Factories are often poorly ventilated, with temperatures, at times, rising above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Burmese Translation

There are reports that children, most between the ages of 8-17, are forced to produce garments in India. Based on the most recently available data from NGOs, up to 100,000 children throughout the country are being forced to produce garments. Recent reports suggest that forced child labor has shifted from factories to home-based production and from urban to suburban areas, particularly in southern India. Dalit and scheduled caste children, a socially disadvantaged class in India, are particularly vulnerable to forced labor in this industry. Many children are trafficked into garment production, recruited under deceptive terms, moved between employers without consent, and paid little or nothing for their work. Some children, as young as age five, are recruited for work through an advance payment to their parents, creating a situation of debt bondage which the child must work to repay. The children are isolated, often live at the worksite, and face restricted freedom of movement. Some children are exposed to dye and toxic chemicals without protective equipment; and some are forced to work overtime, even when they are sick. Some children are punished and threatened with verbal and physical abuse, financial penalty, and some are routinely deprived of food, water, and sleep. The children are forced to perform tasks including stitching, dyeing, cutting, sewing buttons, and embellishing garments. 

Hindi translation

There is evidence that children between the ages of 5 and 14 work in garment manufacturing in Mexico.  Based on an analysis of Mexico’s National Survey of Occupation and Employment – Child Labor Module 2017, an estimated 17,826 children work in garment production.  The survey indicates that the majority of children and adolescents working in garment manufacturing are in Puebla and Guanajuato states.  Other sources report that cases of child labor in garment manufacturing have been found in Puebla.  The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Mexico’s commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs.

Spanish Translation

There is evidence that children under 14 work in the production of garments in Pakistan. Based on an analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017– 2018, an estimated 166,398 children are involved in child labor in the production of garments. 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 mostly girls as young as 11 are forced to produce garments in Thailand. Migrant children from Laos and Burma are particularly vulnerable. The ILO, media, trade unions, government raids, and NGOs report forced child labor in garment factories in Bangkok and along the Burma border in Mae Sai and Mae Sot. Many children live at the worksite, and their freedom of movement is sometimes restricted through confiscation of identity documents and threats of arrest. Children are often forced to work long hours and overtime, and are paid little, if at all. Some are not provided sufficient food and are physically abused. Mistakes made during the course of work are sometimes penalized with wage deductions.

Thai Translation