According to UNICEF, up to 150 million children in the world between the ages of 5 and 14 are forced to work. Trafficking in children, forcing them to work or begging or sexual abuse applies to many countries around the world, but it also happens in Europe. That is why on April 16, we celebrate the 22nd International Day Against Child Slavery
Most slave children are in sub-Saharan African countries, where almost 1 in 4 children work in harmful, severe conditions. It affects their health as well as physical, psychological and social development. In South Asia, it is 12% children, and in Central and Eastern Europe – 5%. They have to extract coal, learn to shoot from weapons or sew clothes on a mass scale. They get exactly what they need to survive. And to be honest, it’s not always like that.
Iqbala Masiha
April 16 is the date commemorating a boy named Iqbala Masiha from Pakistan, who at the age of 4 was sold by his father to the carpet factory. When he managed to escape after 6 years, the whole world learned about its history, and its activities contributed to the release of about 3,000 children. The boy was shot at the age of 13. The guilty were not found.
Sometimes, we unconsciously support the illegal work of children by buying clothes, toys or flowers. According to the data provided on the UNICEF website, it is estimated that by 2020 still 100 million children will be forced to work.
