Child labour
Christian humanitarian agency World Vision has published a report to mark the start of a campaign to make UK consumers aware of how we fund child labour.
The report, called ‘Small world, big responsibility’, highlights ways in which UK consumers are — often unknowingly — complicit in today’s global trade in children.
The report says child labour contributes to everyday products, such as tobacco and mobile phones. Some children have even been trafficked to Britain.
If consumers questioned where their products come from and how they have been made, this could create pressure on companies to prevent their suppliers and factories from exploiting children.
Justin Byworth, chief executive of World Vision, said, ‘Each year more than 500 million children are subjected to violence, abuse and exploitation. Our hope is that this report will stimulate action to combat the global trade in children. We can start by thinking about the way we live our lives as individuals’.
