Photo: Human Rights Watch

I spent the other day watching a couple illuminating shows on the price of gold. The first was on Fort Knox and America’s precious national treasure and the second was a historical documentary on gold mining from pre-gold rush until today. It is well known that gold can come at an incredibly high human and environmental cost, but these programs further opened my eyes to the greed and destruction that this mineral has caused through history. What amazes me most is that we have learned so little: gold continues to be coveted at any cost and gold mining isn’t much safer today than it was a hundred years ago.

For thousands of years people have gone to extremes for the sake of gold, traveling the world in search of even a flake of the metal in the dirt, they risk their lives, spend all they have and most end with up with very little, if anything at all.  Gold has been used to fuel armed conflicts and conquests, and has been the sole reason to level entire mountains and forests, forever changing the environmental landscape.   So if gold causes so much death and destruction than why is it so highly valued?  We do not need gold to survive, in reality it has little practical use for mankind, but gold continues to be one of the world’s most desired commodities. In fact, its value seems to be increasing as the global economy remains unstable.  On September 10, 2001, they day before the United States terrorist attacks, gold was valued at $271 an ounce,  it then hit $1,023 by March 2008, thanks to the recession and decline of the dollar.  ”Gold has always had this kind of magic,” says Peter L. Bernstein, author of The Power of Gold. ”But it’s never been clear if we have gold—or gold has us.”  Today gold fetches the highest price that is has ever garnered in history. Yet gold comes with another, higher price.

According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released this past December, some 20,000 – 40,000 children work in artisanal gold mines in Mali, Africa’s third-largest producer of this precious and highly coveted metal.  The 108-page report, “A Poisonous Mix: Child Labor, Mercury, and Artisanal Gold Mining in Mali,” brought to light the plight of children as young as six years-old who labor in the dangerous mines digging shafts, working underground, and pulling  heavy weights of gold ore. Many of these children are placed in even deadlier conditions working with toxic mercury, used to separate the gold from the ore.  HRW children’s rights researcher Juliane Kippenberg said children carried loads heavier than their own weight, climbed into unstable shafts, and touched and inhaled mercury. Mercury is especially harmful to young children; it is considered to be one of the most toxic substances on earth as it attacks the central nervous system.  Symptoms of mercury poising include impairment of vision, hearing, speech, sensation and a lack of coordination.

Our demand for this shiny commodity has left many in need at the mercy of those who will only exploit them for the highest price they can get for gold. Many children work alongside their parents to supplement meager incomes, much of which is paid out in bags of dirt that hopefully contains a bit of gold.  Other children find themselves alone in the mines, trafficked, exploited, and abused by relatives or strangers who take any earnings they may make with no regard for the child’s health or safety.  Both boys and girls are trafficked to work in the mines and many of the girls are sexually abused.

In the report, HRW urges the Malian government to not only enforce existing child labor laws and seek compulsory education for all children, but also asks corporate entities “to put in place procedures to ensure their gold has not been mined by children.”  However, there is much that must be done in the gold industry to guarantee that gold mining meets ethical and environmental standards.  Currently there is no way to be sure the gold you buy untainted, as there is no set global standard or monitoring body for the metal. While many local officials and companies profit from existing gold mining practices in countries like Kenya and Mali, fights to override corruption and maltreatment are difficult.

What can you do as a gold consumer? The simple answer is to refrain from purchasing the precious metal. But other options include recycling current gold or buying antique or used pieces. Sadly, many other minerals and gems are tainted by slavery, such as diamonds. To be a conscious consumer, ask questions and look at industry standards. A growing option for untainted gems is man-made stones.  I personally love my lab-created gems; they are more precious given that children were not endangered for me to wear them.

Benin makes inroads against malaria
The West African country of Benin is enhancing its free treatment efforts for malaria by targeting those who sell counterfeit and substandard malaria drugs, and recruiting ordinary citizens as health workers who focus on care for expectant mothers and sick children. Malaria is the leading cause of death in the country. 

Girl Scouts are recognized by UN for palm oil awareness campaign
The United Nations on Thursday awarded the first-ever International Forest Heroes Award for North America to Girl Scouts from Michigan who have been drawing attention to the threats posed to endangered orangutans in Malaysia and Indonesia, where forests are being cut down in order to create massive palm oil plantations. Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen are encouraging the use of sustainable substitutes for palm oil in thousands of products, including Girl Scout Cookies. 

The workers who helped fight polio in India
Volunteers and social workers across India are the unsung heroes of the country’s successful push to eradicate polio, helping to administer some 900 million doses of a polio vaccine over the past year alone. “I decided to get involved because I wanted to do something for the future of our children here,” said Madara, a 76-year-old street hawker who has been volunteering to help with immunization efforts for the past six years.

Nigeria’s governors sign on for polio eradication
Nigeria’s 36 governors and the minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja have each agreed to pursue eradication of polio in their areas, responding to a challenge by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To receive the promised $500,000 grants, the states must meet strict criteria confirmed by World Health Organization monitoring.

Education drives empowerment for poor women
In an interview, Anita Sharma, director of the UN Foundation’s Millennium Development Goals Initiatives, talks about the achievements and remaining challenges of the foundation’s Every Woman Every Child initiative, which aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children. “I think you have seen increases in political will, but it needs to be sustained and accelerated,” Sharma said. “We’re hoping by the sustained and refocused education that they become the driver of economic change and improvement.” 

Toxic cookstove smoke threatens billions
An estimated 3 billion of the world’s population cook over potentially toxic open fires, and the World Health Organization estimates that 2 million deaths annually can be linked to cookfire pollution. Radha Muthiah, executive director of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, said that the use of clean cookstoves is “one relatively simple intervention that has a multitude of impacts.” This CNN video report looks at one effort to bring clean cookstoves to Tanzania.

February 6th was International Day of Zero Tolerance against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  The United Nations sponsored day was designated to generate awareness of FGM, also know as female genital cutting, and to promote its eradication.  The day was established nine years ago, on February 6, 2003 by Stella Obasanjo, the First Lady of Nigeria, with the official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to FGM” in Africa during a conference organized by the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC). Following the IAC’s declaration, the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights adopted the day as an international awareness day.  Sadly the awareness day has yet to gain a great deal of global media attention and promotion, as is often the fate of FGM and it’s female victims.

The practice known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Circumcision can be the partial or full removal of the external genitalia. FGM can often be fatal, especially when done in non-sanitary conditions, and/or by non-medically trained persons. The fatal results of FGM can often be caused by excessive bleeding, transmission of disease, or shock. The complications and the long-term effects of FGM can include: pain, infertility, difficulties in child birth, trouble with menstruation or urination, problems and extreme pain with intercourse, lack of sexual desire, no sexual stimulation, and mental illness.  For the women and girls who are victims of FGM the pain and torture of the procedure are far from a one-time affair, and both the physical and mental scars can last a lifetime.

While international awareness and laws against the practice have undoubtedly increased in the last decade, one of the biggest wins came in February 2008, when ten UN agencies came together to end female genital mutilation. They concurred that individual countries have the best means to change the terrible tradition.  Countries such as Uganda have since implemented a ban, but the issue of FGM remains one of the most heartbreaking and painful reminders of ongoing gender inequality and abuse.  The harmful practice affects some 140 million girls and women, and it is estimated that three million girls are at risk of being subjected to the horrific ritual, according to the World Heath Organization (WHO) .  In many countries, education and awareness have successfully eliminated the FGM in communities and helped establish laws to ban it, but in countries such as Somalia and Sudan,  98% and 89% of young girls respectively are forced to go through the painful and needless practice.

Rates of FGM have fallen in many countries, but the fight to end the practice is far from over. Efforts must continue in countries where the practice has a long-standing history, but the fight for gender equality and an end to sexual violence is global, and will not be won without a united front. FGM must be considered a human rights violation, not a one-time instance of abuse. Therefore, education and awareness on its long term effects must be put into place, as should laws to address the severity of the crime. This legislation must be adequately implemented and violators prosecuted.  Governments and NGO’s must work together with community leaders on all levels to see that the entire community is adequately educated on the facts of FGM and the long term effects it has on a girl’s mental and physical health.

The hope and dream is not that FGM awareness days gain a color to flood the streets once a year, but to advocate for awareness year-long and promote and fund programs to educate communities. However, the lack of awareness of the day itself may be a depressing indicator of just how far we have to go.

Please see my previous posts on FGM, including: Ending Female Genital Mutilation (2010), Is a Continental Ban Against Female Genital Mutilation on its Way in Africa? (2010), Are we closer to an end for Female Genital Mutilation? (2009), The Global Fight Against FGM (2008)

Related links

•  The Female Genital Mutilation Education and Networking Project
• Global strategy to stop health-care providers from performing female genital mutilation
• Eliminating female genital mutilation: an inter-agency statement
• Fact sheet on female genital mutilation
• More information on FGM

In October last year, I published the piece Are Politics to Blame for the Deaths of 30,000 Children in Somalia?  The answer to the question remains the same.  The famine was not only caused by drought and poor harvest,  but was fueled by a lack of political will.  In July, the UN declared a famine in two regions of Southern Somalia; however, Somalia continues to find itself gripped tightly by starvation in many regions.  Many believe the famine is largely a political creation, due to factions that have actively prevented food and other aid from reaching drought victims. However, the political commitment to end the problem remains difficult.  The largest areas of malnutrition and famine are centered in Southern Somalia, where a failing government sits idly by as al-Shabaab, a terrorist group with ties to al-Qa‘ida, controls parts of the country.

In November 2011, al-Shabaab banned 16 aid organizations distributing food, including several UN agencies, from their controlled areas, accusing them of “illicit activities and misconduct.” This political curve ball only served to ensure that not only would the famine continue and the death toll mount, but al-Shabaab would retain their tight reign over the region.

Somalia continues to remain in a major food crisis, classified as famine in some regions, and once again politics are impacting the distribution of food aid. Al-Shabaab has now banned aid distributions by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who was one of the last aid agencies operating in areas under al-Shabab’s control and the only agency bringing in food to those famine-hit areas on a large scale.  In a statement issued by al-Shabaab, they accused ICRC of “repeated distribution of expired food and false accusations” and thus stated that its Office for Supervising the Affairs of Foreign Agencies (OSAFA) “has decided to terminate the contract of ICRC permanently.”  The ICRC’s operations were formally suspended in al-Shabaab controlled areas on 12 January.  This major political move has now placed innocent Somalians in the center of what continues to look like a loosing battle; with each gain in the fight against hunger by the international community, al-Shabaab seeks to take control back.

The United Nations is gravely concerned about the latest ban, as the incoming aid had a major impact on the lives of those in the region.  The UN stated that more than 13 million people were in need of aid and some 750,000 at risk of famine at the height of the Somali drought. However,  those at risk of famine have now significantly dropped to 250,000 after the increase in both aid and seasonal rains, which allowed for the planting of crops.  The banning of the ICRC will surely be a major setback for the recovery and stability of the country.  According to Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, the move will only send those who began to escape back to a state of famine. Bowden stated that, “Over the past couple of months, ICRC distributed food to over one million Somalis in crisis; leaving so many vulnerable Somalis without food will endanger their lives and could also result in pushing a large number of people back into famine, reversing any gains made.  We appeal to all factions in Somalia to allow humanitarian actors to reach people most in need, wherever they are. (IRIN)”

While the international parties ignore or debate the key facts and realities, children continue to live in needless malnutrition. Despite reports that political will is the key strategy necessary to bring a sustainable end to child malnutrition, the solutions are not simple, especially in developing and conflict ridden countries such as Somalia (Political Will a Must to End Child Malnutrition).  The issues leading to child malnutrition are often created by a lack of political will, and yet political will is required to end this problem. Pressure for change must come not only from within Somalia, but also from the global community.

Please see my previous posts: Somalia’s Child Refugees Bear the Burden, Africa’s Children: Famine and Drought, UN Allows for Sanctions in Somalia Against Violators of Children, When will eyes of hope cast a glance at Somalia?, Will we remember Somalia? and Have We Forgotten Somalia?, for more on the plight of the country’s children.

Photo: AMREF UK

In December’s post, Expectant American Mothers Help Raise Funds for Mothers in Developing Nations,  the Imagine Me & You contest finalists had been announced.  The Million Moms Challenge has now chosen a winner from its photo contest, in which hundreds of expectant mothers from across the United States submitted images with original messages, written on their “baby bumps,” stating their wishes and dreams for their children.  In partnership with ABC News and the United Nations Foundation, the contest was aimed at engaging a million Americans with millions of mothers in developing countries around issues that impact pregnancy, child birth, and children’s health.  The contest is part of ABC News’ year-long global health series, “Be the Change: Save a Life,” sponsored in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and focused on health conditions endured by those in poor developing countries.

The winning photo and message was submitted by Allison Dearstyne, a ninth grade history teacher from Maryland, and was selected by Anne Geddes from among the 12 finalists.  Dearstyne’s winning ”baby bump” message read: “May You Stay Forever Young,” a lyric from a favorite Bob Dylan song and a dream that all mother’s across the globe hold in their hearts for their children. “I’m moved by how many mothers have come together through this contest,” said Geddes. “The Million Moms Challenge designed this contest to celebrate the dream of mothers everywhere for healthy, happy babies who will grow to reach their full potential. I’m looking forward to meeting the Dearstyne family and continuing to be part of this strong community of mothers helping mothers.” (UN Dispatch).

Photo: Million Mom's Challenge

While the contest and it’s winning photos leave most full of fuzzy warm feelings as they ooh and aah at the creative and cute “baby bumps” and their messages of love and hope, the real motivation behind the contest runs much deeper.  While the mothers, and their expectant bundles of joy, are privileged enough to have access to adequate medical care and nutrition, for expectant mothers in developing nations the story of pregnancy and childbirth is often haunted by fear, as every 90 seconds a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. That’s 1,000 girls and women a day, more than half a million women every year.  Additionally, for every woman who dies, 20 or more experience serious complications, and 1 million babies are stillborn each year because their mothers could not access the proper medical care. Additionally, some 8 million children will die this year before they are 5 years old, that’s almost 21,000 children each day.  More than 80 percent of these deaths could have easily been prevented.

Working for the survival of mothers and children is a crucial international development priority that must remain on the global agenda. Both the International Conference on Population and Development and Millennium Development Goals have set a goal to reduce maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015 by 75 percent.  The simple yet imperative strategic goals include, ensuring that all women have access to contraception to avoid unintended pregnancies and reduce unsafe abortions (see the recent post, Unsafe abortions on the rise),  provide all pregnant women with access to adequate medical care at the time of birth, and see that mothers with complications have timely access to quality emergency obstetric care.

Therefore, the message behind the Million Mom’s Challenge is simple and clear.  By educating communities and bringing awareness to the plight of mothers and children in developing nations we can save millions of lives.  The solutions for saving mothers and their babies are simple and not far from our grasp.  For less than a dollar a day, we can provide mothers and their babies with proper nutrition, proper training for midwives, vaccinations for children, and simple technologies to deliver crucial health information to women and health workers in remote areas.  To be part of the message and the solution, join the Million Mom’s Challenge here to see how you can save the lives of women and children around the world.

Chocolate: slavery’s bittersweet treat

Those sweet heart-shaped chocolate boxes often begin with a children enslaved to pick cocoa pods.  UNICEF estimates that some 200,000 children are victims of trafficking each year in West and Central Africa alone, for the purpose of working in the supply chain of products such as cocoa and coffee. Child trafficking continues to plague the cocoa fields of West Africa, which is the source of 70% of the world’s cocoa.  According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) there are an the estimated 215 million child laborers around the globe, and two-thirds of children aged 5-17 and work in agriculture. These children are placed in hazardous working conditions in order to ensure that we have our sweet treats, it is truly a bitter story.

Flowers: The stem of slavery

Valentine’s Day is a flower seller’s dream, but it is a daily nightmare of exploited workers, many of whom are women.  Americans will buy more than 189 million stems of roses this Valentine’s Day, the majority of which will travel all the way from Ecuador and Colombia before they’re sold to doting beaus.  According to the US Labor Education in the Americas (USLEAP), women comprise 65% of those working in the flower field, nearly a third are single mothers, working long hours (12-16) for around $2 or less per day.  These slave-like wages leave young mothers unable to cover their families’ basic monthly expenses, while the flowers they picked that day will sell for between $600 and $800.  Aside from the long workdays and impossible quotas, flower workers are exposed to high levels of toxic pesticides and fungicides, which are sometimes sprayed on workers bodies while they are in the field.  This has left women flower workers with high rates of birth defects, miscarriage, and sterilization.  These mothers often pass on the legacy of exploitation to their children as the cycle of slavery continues generation after generation.

How do you ensure your Valentine’s gifts are free from exploitation?

Become a conscious consumer and search for items labeled ‘Fair Trade’.  Fair Trade works towards greater transparency in both industries and helps to ensure that workers in the fields receive a fair wadge and human rights protection. So buy Fair Trade, especially products known to be associated with worker exploitation. These include agricultural products like cocoa, coffee, coconuts, cotton, fruit and vegetables, jasmine, palm oil, rubber, sisal, sugar cane, tea, tobacco, and vanilla.

• Flowers: Fair Trade Certified roses can be found in-store at Whole Foods Market.  Just look for the green Whole Trade Guarantee sticker in the floral department. If you are ordering flowers online try One World Flowers and schedule the delivery of beautiful Ecuadorian roses. In addition to traditional red and pink roses, you can select themed bouquets like “Helping Haiti” and “Honoring Japan” that support much-needed relief efforts in those countries.  FTD also offers Fair Trade flowers including their Go Green Living collection.  1800Flowers also offers organic roses, as well as a line of Fair Trade mixed bouquets, certified by TransFair USA.  Try local flowers like California Organic‘s.  Organic Bouquet, has flowers certified through the VeriFlora program, which sets standards for worker rights, water conservation, recycling and organic production.  Also search for Florverde Certified flowers, which requires better treatment of workers and more sustainable farming practices.
• Chocolate: More and more retailers carry Fair Trade chocolate so just keep your eye out for the Fair Trade label as you shop.  You can also purchase special valentines gifts online including heart-shaped chocolates from Divine Chocolate, the sweet and spicy chocolate sampler from Equal Exchange, the Valentine’s Day Heart Box from Sweet Earth Chocolates and a full tub of chocolate hearts of cherry  or dark chocolate with raspberry bar from Sjaak’s.  Sweet Earth Chocolates Classic Red Velvet Box, ChocoDream Spreads, Kopali Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs, TCHO “My Heart’s Desire” Adigard 12-Bar Sampler, Alter Eco Dark Velvet Chocolate and sweetriot riotous riotBar gift set.  Why not reach outside the box and  try Kopali’s Dark Chocolate Covered Bananas.
• Ice Cream: Frozen desserts also make a sweet treat on Valentine’s Day.  Look for Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Macadamia and Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate.
• Wines and Spirits: Fair Trade Certified beverages are available at Whole Foods Market and other retailers.  Try these wine favorites: Fairhills’ Bus Stop Red and the Live-a-Little Really Ravishing Red, Heritage Link One World Shiraz.  Shop online at; JugShop.com, 67Wine, Marketview Liqueur or Cask. In addition to wine, why not try a delicious “Gogipolitan” made with the recently certified Fair. Quinoa vodka and Fair. Gogi liqueur?
• Tea and Coffee:  Coffee and Tea are also easy to find in retailers.  A few tea favorites are; Tea Forte’s Cherry Cosmo, Numi ’s Ruby Chai, Rishi’s Cinnamon Plum Set, Choice Organics’ Rooibos Superfruit, Rishi Tea Pu-erh Gift Set, Choice Organic Tea Rooibos Chai, Art of Tea Vanilla Berry Truffle or Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Pomegranate Rose.  For that after dinner coffee try; Newman’s Own Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Global Exchange , Equal Exchange, Dean’s Beans , Larry’s Beans, Just Coffee, Higher Ground Roasters, Grounds for Change , Fair Trade Coffee Co.

What is Fair Trade?

The Fair Trade label is applied to products that pass a standard certification system.  In addition to agricultural consumables, Fair Trade versions of sports balls, clothing, rugs, and other products can be easily found. Fair trade certification empowers workers and communities to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms/businesses and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.  Fair Trade is much more than a fair price, it enables safe working conditions, living wages for workers, prohibits forced child labor and slavery, promotes environmental sustainability, and encourages community development.  However, please note that just because a product does not carry the label, it does not mean that it is not Fair Trade, as many smaller co-ops and others have not yet been able to afford the certification.  Nonetheless, do not let this put you off, being a conscious consumer and knowing where your products come from is always a better way forward for everyone, so don’t be afraid to investigate and do some research.  There are sites like Fair Trade Proof.org and the list on Fair Trade USA will help you find brands that sell Fair Trade Certified products to help you get started.  I have also compiled a list of some Fair Trade and Slave Free Links and Shopping Fair Trade and Slave Free this Holiday Season.  Please also see previous posts on Child Trafficking, Child Labor and Fair Trade.

Rather than learning and dreaming of a brighter future in classrooms where they belong, thousands of children are working long and laborious hours in harsh and often dangerous conditions with little hope of a prosperous future, let alone a fair and decent wage- if any wage at all.

Child Labor in the Cocoa Industry

The global cocoa industry often traffics children to work as slaves. According to UNICEF, in West Africa 200,000 children are living in conditions of forced labor and slavery on cocoa farms.  One company that has been under heavy pressure to remove child labor from their supply chains is U.S. chocolate leader Hershey; however, the years of pressure by consumers and the media, not to mention the industry itself, have largely passed with little impact.  The Hershey Company has been aware that their products are tainted by slavery and child labor since at least 2001, when along with the other major chocolate companies, Hershey made a commitment to end child and forced labor in their cocoa supply chains.  In September 2001, chocolate and cocoa industry representatives signed the Harkin Engel Protocol, developed by Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Eliot Engel, in an effort to eliminate child labor in the industry. The protocol has a six-point approach to solve the problem, including a time sensitive process to establish credibility and eliminate the use of child slavery. The protocol was signed by the industry’s large cocoa producing companies and set forth an action plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and forced labor from cocoa farms worldwide by 2005.

However, Hershey’s has continued to produce their products undaunted by the knowledge that their profits come with a high human cost. They continue to source cocoa from the Ivory Coast, which according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), produces 43% of the worlds cocoa, without ensuring that child labor exploitation does not occur in the production of the cocoa they use.  However, it seems that 2012 is the year Hershey will finally opened their eyes and fall to pressure, mostly thanks to the International Labor Rights Forum and the public campaign “Raise The Bar“, aimed directly at the company’s failure to act.  The ILRF contacted Hershey to let them know of their plans to air an ad about Hershey’s child labor issues on a jumbo-tron at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.  Suddenly Hershey’s was ready to speak up and issued a statement that, by the end of 2012, they pledged to use only Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa for its  Bliss chocolate line. Rainforest Alliance Certified farms have three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, social equity and economic viability.  Hershey’s also stated they they plan to invest $10 million in West Africa, to encourage economic initiatives and to reduce child labor and improve cocoa supply (Huffington Post).  While this is great news, it is not yet time to celebrate, as it is a small step in the long road to freedom for millions of children victimized by child labor.

Children in the Cotton Fields

Over the past few years, the media has highlighted the case of Uzbekistan, a major global supplier of cotton to the garment industry.  Estimates say some 1.5 to 2 million schoolchildren between the ages of 10-16 years-old have been forced to pick cotton each year from September-November. However, despite an international outcry, and ban against cotton from Uzbekistan by many Western companies the previous year, little changed for Uzbek children last year, as they continued to be pulled from the classrooms and forced to work in the cotton fields (EurasiaNet). Sadly, Uzbekistan is not the only country utilizing child labor to harvest their precious ’white gold’; India is also a large producer of both raw cotton and processed materials. Yet unlike the children of Uzbekistan they have not found themselves under the heavy scrutiny of investigators or the public media.  “According to one Indian campaigning organization, around a third of workers in the cotton-producing industry are children. The number of child cotton workers across the country as a whole could be as much as half a million.” (SOS Children’s Villages)

This past month, retail giant and one of the top consumers of fair-trade cotton, Victoria’s Secret, under the parent company Limited Brands Inc., was thrust into the spotlight due to reports of child labor practices by a supplier from which they purchase fair-trade fiber harvested in Burkina Faso each year.  “Under regulations separate from those being examined by homeland security, the U.S. Department of Labor had determined the problem of forced child labor in Burkina Faso’s cotton sector was serious enough to ban its fiber from the federal government’s procurement system. It’s one of just 29 products from a total of 21 countries that U.S. agencies are forbidden from buying under those rules.” (Bloomberg)

Are we doing enough?

The case against cotton from Burkina Faso highlights that bans in themselves do not solve the problem. The same is true in Uzbekistan, whose suppliers simply found new buyers in Russia and China.  In both the cotton and cocoa industries,  there is an need for increased monitoring of suppliers and prosecution of cases of labor violations. However, countries must cooperate with investigations, making regulation difficult.  It is clear that we need to strengthen both domestic and international legislation and cooperation to allow the prosecution of acts involving child and forced labor.  Until every child is out of the fields, mines, factories, fishing boats, etc. and in a classroom, we are not doing enough.  Yes, it is a long road, but there is an end in sight and we must not stop until we reach it.

To end child slavery the pressure and willingness to rid it from each level of the supply chain must come from every direction.  This means not only governments and large scale corporations, but consumers.  When the price seems too good to be true, it usually is, and when your not paying for it someone else, perhaps a child, is paying the price for you.  Remember that while it is difficult to know each step of the supply chain producing your products, you can still be an active and educated consumer by purchasing items that are certified fair-trade.  Please also see previous posts on Child Trafficking, Child Labor and fair trade such as, Fair Trade Trick-or-Treating, Become a Conscious Consumer this October for Fair Trade Month and Impact Children, and don’t forget to check out the following resource pages: Fair Trade and Slave Free Links and Fair Trade Book List.  You can hear stories from the children who work in cocoa fields from the International Cocoa Initiative here.  For more info on the campaign to end child labor and cotton visit Environmental Justice Foundation here.

Look for my follow-up post on fair-trade chocolate and learn how to ensure that your Valentines treats are child labor and slave free.

Photo: Anupam Nath/Associated Press

One of the biggest priorities in 2012 is to decrease child labor. According to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) most recent global estimate, 215 million children worldwide are involved in child labor.

On the positive side, the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) latest 2010 global report, Accelerating action against child labour, showed a slight decline in child labor. Most significantly, children workers between the ages of five and fourteen decreased by 10%. Growing international efforts to increase awareness and prevent discrimination of girls may be to thank for a 15% decrease in female child labor.

However, these improvements may only represent a shift in the ages of child laborers and a decrease in the most harmful types of labor alone.  While child labor among girls may be on the decline, the number of under-aged boys employed has sadly increased by 7%.   Additionally, while children aged 5 to 14 worked less, the employment of 15 to 17 year-olds increased by 20%, from 52 million to 62 million.  The biggest global concern is that the majority of child laborers, some three-fourths, are engaged in the worst forms of child labor, including: child soldiers, sexual exploitation and hazardous work in industries such as brick manufacturing.

Following the 2010 report, the ILO took key steps to increase the prevention and decline of child labor. First, the ILO endorsed a Global Action Plan for achieving the elimination of the worst forms of child labor by 2016.  The the ambitious plan was then accompanied by the 2011 ILO report, Children in Hazardous Work: What we Know, What we Need to Know. According to the report there are 115 million children engaged in the most hazardous forms of labor, which endangers children’s safety, health and development across the globe.  The report highlighted the recent rise in hazardous work among older children and stated growing evidence that adolescents suffer higher rates of injury at work compared to adult workers.

The battle to decrease child labor in 2012 and keep on track with the 2016 goals will be difficult, especially amid growing concerns that the ongoing global economic crisis is  impeding efforts.  As the stretched economy increased demand for cheap products, it subsequently raised the demand for cheap and slave labor, thus contributing to global poverty.  Child labor has a direct link to poverty, and provides a substantial barrier to a child’s education, increasing the literacy gap. Education is often taken for granted in developing nations; however, many poor and impoverished families are forced to face the choice of whether to send their children to school or to work to help the family. It is that choice that has sent millions of children out of the classroom, most often girls, to toil in fields, factories, homes and the streets.

As we close the first month of the year, headlines are already brewing about child labor violations by Apple, Hersey and the cocoa industry, as well as the cotton industry.  It appears that while the fight against child labor looks to be on the forefront of the global agenda, the road ahead for 2012 will continue to be rocky.  See the follow-up of this article, Battling Child Labor in the Cocoa and Cotton Fields, tomorrow for an analysis on recent reports of child labor violations.

Photo by EuroWeb

The right to life is unquestionably one of the biggest human rights debates in the United States. Some argue there is never an acceptable reason for the termination of a pregnancy, others will allow it in the case of a medical emergency or to save the life of the mother, some are for the use of only early term abortion, others argue that it is simply the mother’s choice.  The recent March for Life in DC this month is only one manifestation of this debate, which has been a major battle amongst individuals and parties since the historic Roe vs. Wade decision. However, the U.S. is not the only country where the issue of abortion is controversial.

Many developing countries are losing the battle against harmful and illegal abortion practices that significantly impact female health and family planning.  The practice of unsafe abortions is one of the leading contributors to maternal death worldwide.  These practices are often conducted outside hospitals or clinics, or lack qualified or any real medical supervision. Women who undergo unsafe abortions are prone to dangerous infection or bleeding, many of these women then go untreated due to both fear or shame and a lack of access to adequate healthcare.

Recently, a new study entitled, Induced abortion: incidence and trends worldwide from 1995 to 2000, was released by the New York Guttmacher Institute.  The study found that the number of women having induced abortions has remained high since their 2003 report, which had shown an initial reduction in induced abortions.  The report stated that while abortion rates had fallen from 1995 levels, they have now leveled off. The rise in world population is only a partial explanation for 2.2 million more abortions in 2008 compared to 2003.

“The declining abortion trend we had seen globally has stalled, and we are also seeing a growing proportion of abortions occurring in developing countries, where the procedure is often clandestine and unsafe. This is cause for concern,” says Gilda Sedgh , lead author of the study and a senior researcher at the Guttmacher Institute. “This plateau coincides with a slowdown in contraceptive uptake. Without greater investment in quality family planning services, we can expect this trend to persist.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), complications from unsafe or illegal abortions  were the cause for an estimated 13% of all maternal deaths worldwide in 2008; almost all of these deaths occurred in developing countries. Globally, unsafe abortion accounted for 220 deaths per 100,000 procedures in 2008, 350 times the rate associated with legal induced abortions in the United States (0.6 per 100,000). Unsafe abortion is also a significant cause of ill-health. Each year approximately 8.5 million women in developing countries experience abortion complications serious enough to require medical attention, and three million of them do not receive the needed care.

The study also found that that laws restricting abortion were not not tied to lower abortion rates. In areas where abortion is heavily restricted, rates of the practice were actually higher.  The 2008 abortion rate in Africa was 29 per 1,000 women of childbearing age and in South America it was 32 per 1,000; while in Western Europe, where abortion is permitted by law, the rate was only 12 per 1,000.

 ”These latest figures are deeply disturbing. The progress made in the 1990s is now in reverse. Promoting and implementing policies to reduce the number of abortions is now an urgent priority for all countries and for global health agencies, such as WHO,” says Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet. “Condemning, stigmatizing, and criminalizing abortion are cruel and failed strategies. It’s time for a public health approach that emphasizes reducing harm – and that means more liberal abortion laws.”

The difference in rates has prompted many in the field to advocate for looser abortion laws on a global scale. However, others argue that better family planning programs, including education and increased access to birth-control, are they key to the problem.  As noted in the post, Leaders meet to put family planning on the global agenda, their are 215 million women worldwide without access to family planning, a staggering number that will only increase as the global population continues to rise.  Therefore, the issue of female health and family planning must become an international priority if there is to be a decline in maternal deaths.

• Facts on Induced Abortion Worldwide
• Regional factsheets on induced abortion (Africa, Asia, Latin America)
• Graphics illustrating key findings of report
• International Data Center
• In Harms Way: The Impact of Kenya’s Abortion Law
• Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Statistics from Unsafe Abortion

Pakistan struggles to make progress against polio

German researchers pave way to cheaper malaria drug
Researchers in Germany have developed a way to synthesize artemisinin, a drug crucial to anti-malaria efforts, using oxygen and light — a breakthrough that should make artemisinin not only easier to produce, but more affordable. “The impact of this is hard to overestimate,” said one observer, industrial chemist Jack Newman.

Polio gains in Afghanistan threatened by outbreak
Polio cases in Afghanistan nearly tripled in 2011 in a major setback to international public health efforts to eradicate the disease. Dr. Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization said, “This is a national tragedy to end up with a major polio outbreak, especially with all the effort they have put into it. It increases the risk to neighboring countries and is both a local and national, and international, concern.

India sets sights on higher education
Indian authorities are scrambling to build 1,000 universities and 50,000 colleges over the next decade to promote higher education and development. The number of young Indians entering the workforce is expected to reach 100 million by 2020, and authorities hope increased higher education opportunities will help propel India’s economy in the decades to come. 

Valuing Indian women, by the numbers
A considerable drop in the number of girls in India as a result of sex-selective abortions and general neglect could, in fact, make women more valuable in accordance with the law of supply and demand. Not only could women begin to be paid better in relation to men, but their marriage value could rise too, ostensibly reducing the burden of dowries on families.

Kenyan faces legal action over child bride
A Kenyan man facing charges for defiling a child bride he paid about $58 for has called for the girl’s parents to be brought in to corroborate. Child marriage remains commonplace in Kenya due to chronic poverty, tradition and the desire to protect family honor

Prioritizing the end of polio
The last recorded case of polio in India affected an 18-month-old girl in West Bengal, Rukhsar Khatoon, who recovered from the disease without lasting paralysis — only a few years ago, the country recorded as many as 100,000 cases a year. Eradication of the disease can happen elsewhere, according to philanthropist Bill Gates, when there is “political will, quality immunization campaigns and an entire nation’s determination.

UNICEF officials talks of past, future challenges
In an interview, Susan Bissell, chief of child protection programs for UNICEF, talks about influences on her career, as well as the reputation of the UN agency and the emerging global challenges it is facing. Among the programs she mentions is the public-private partnership, Together for Girls, for which the agency is conducting first-ever surveys of violence against children — including sexual violence — in households across the world.

“Alarming malnutrition” in Sudan conflict zones: UN

Case of tortured child bride shocks Afghanistan
Afghans have reacted in shock and dismay to the case of a 15-year-old child bride brutally tortured by her husband and his family in a bid to force the youngster into a life of prostitution. The outcry has raised questions on women’s rights progress more than a decade after the end of the Taliban’s rule and prompted Afghan President Hamid Karzai to form an investigative committee.

First domestic abuse hotline in Pakistan assisting women
The first helpline for Pakistani women seeking assistance for domestic violence has been opened by the charity Madadgar, or The Helper, in Karachi, the country’s largest city. More than two-thirds of women in Pakistan suffer some form of abuse at the hands of family members, according to this report.

Robinson, Tutu lead charge against child marriage
Former Irish President Mary Robinson and Archbishop Desmond Tutu are spearheading an initiative on behalf of The Elders to raise awareness around child marriage and the damage the practice causes to 10 million young girls every year. Girls Not Brides aims to mobilize people around the world to support an end to marriages under the age of 18 and protect the basic rights of young females.

Pakistan: Poverty is cited for rise in infanticide
The number of babies abandoned by parents on Pakistan’s streets to die is on the rise, and girls make up the overwhelming majority of the infants, according to local NGO Edhi Foundation. Increasing food prices and grinding poverty are the main causes cited for the upswing in infanticide.

Sex-selective abortions still common in India
A mechanical device that allows authorities to track sonograms and monitor doctors’ abortion decisions is drawing fire from Indian activists as failing to be a solution to gender-selective abortions. Research shows that India has lost 12 million females to selective abortions in the last three decades.

India’s efforts to cut sex selection may be paying off
By and large, growing wealth has only resulted in greater use of sex-selective abortions in the two largest countries on earth, India and China, as well as other countries across Asia. But research shows India might have turned a corner.

Family sizes changing across Latin America
Fertility rates are dropping across Latin America as modern financial realities, improved health care and mass migrations to urban centers have resulted in women exerting more control over family planning. The average fertility rate across the region has dropped from 6 in 1960 to 2.3 in 2010.

Gender equity gains ground worldwide
Gender equality in four key areas — education, health, workforce and rights — is improving across the world, according to a new report from the World Bank. In the last two decades, dozens of countries in Africa and Latin America have passed legislation protecting women’s civil and political rights, and Saudi Arabia is now the only country in the world that maintains restrictions on women voting.

Rise in assaults on Somali women, girls
Aid workers and UN officials are reporting an alarming increase in incidences of rape and sexual abuse against women and girls in southern Somalia, primarily at the hands of the militant group al-Shabab. But the displacement of thousands of women as a result of famine has made them vulnerable to attacks by other men, too, especially in lawless refugee camps where they are preyed upon by rogue militiamen and even government soldiers.

Therefore use this day and month to take action, promote awareness, and support those who have been victimized by modern slavery.  Make this the day that you fight to end a global plague that has stolen the freedoms of some 27 million men, women and children.  Be it via the internet or in your own city/town/village across the world, make today a day to remember those who have been victimized by modern slavery and who are unable to govern their own lives. We have it in our power to see that future generations of children are no longer at risk for exploration and slavery. Let us unite to end slavery  in our lifetime.

• There are some 27 million people held in slavery today across the globe.
• According to 2009 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report over 80% of those trans-nationally trafficked are women and children.
• The U.S. State department estimates that some 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year and about 80 percent of them are female and at least 50% are children.
• In 1850 a slave in the Southern United States cost the equivalent of $40,000 today. According to Free the Slaves, a slave today costs an average of $90.

If you suspect a situation or a potential victim, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-3737-888 now!  We highly recommend you take a moment to place this number in your mobile phones now.

*The awareness poster is available for free download via Bridge to Freedom Foundation, please see there site to download this poster as well as their two other awareness posters.

Vietnam aims to improve minority education
With the support of aid agencies like UNICEF, Vietnamese authorities are working to provide primary education in minority languages as part of an effort to promote development and economic growth. Vietnam has 53 ethnic minorities that constitute 13% of the overall population and remain among the country’s most impoverished citizens.

Tanzania hospital battles fistula
Corrective surgery is giving Tanzanian fistula sufferers a chance to resume a normal life. The Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation hospital in Dar es Salaam is providing free surgery, education and job training in a bid to help end the stigma and social isolation that often accompanies fistula.

TV viewers help fund health programs in developing world
ABC News television viewers have provided almost $1.5 million to help fund public health programs to support women and children in the developing world. Clean water supply projects in Ethiopia and Bangladesh, and anti-malnutrition programs in Somalia and Guatemala are among the initiatives that have received the financial support.

Family planning makes inroads across Africa
Family planning is beginning to take hold in Africa even as the continent’s population remains on track to double in size by 2045. Cultural resistance and lack of access remain challenges to efforts to reduce fertility rates and stabilize population growth.

India steps up efforts to halt Pakistan polio migration
The increase in recorded cases of polio in Pakistan, from 134 to 173 over the past year, poses a threat to India’s efforts to eliminate the virus, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Only one person was reportedly stricken by the virus over the past year in India.

GAVI vaccine deal is extended through 2023
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization will be able to buy 180 million doses of pneumococcal vaccine at a steep discount through 2023 under an agreement announced Friday between drugmakers Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. The vaccine helps prevent pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, conditions that combined kill an estimated 800,000 children each year, almost all in the developing world.

India eyes subsidies to tackle malnutrition
Indian authorities are hoping an updated food-subsidies program will help address widespread malnutrition and waning political fortunes without disrupting the economy. The plan, which will increase the number of beneficiaries from 180 million to as many as 810 million, has been approved by the Cabinet and heads to India’s parliament next week.

Million Moms Challenge reaches Bangladesh
BRAC, which runs maternal, neonatal and child health programs that reach 24.5 million people, has partnered with the Million Moms Challenge to promote development. The group’s “birthing huts” have helped lower the percentage of Bangladeshi woman giving birth in unsanitary conditions at home from 86% to 25%.

Indonesian women, girls bear brunt of HIV surge
Mothers afflicted with HIV, as well as their daughters, are suffering disproportionately in Indonesia as a result of education and employment discrimination, compounded by financial burdens when infected partners are unable to work, according to a report of the UN Development Program. “Many HIV-positive women are being called ‘bad women’ or ‘bad girls,’ but, at the same time, many of them have to work more after their husbands were diagnosed with HIV,” said Chya Wibisono of Indonesia Women’s Positive Network.

This holiday season I find myself daunted by how to help children in need. Looking at my End of Year Review, there is so much that we need to do to meet the needs of children across the globe and here at home.  However, regardless of my beliefs, I am faithful that if we each pick one battle to fight, we can bring sustainable change to the lives of children today.  Therefore, I put together a list of my wishes for children this holiday season. (While I no longer believe in Santa) I think there is a little Santa spirit in all of us, and I hope you will all find a cause to support this holiday season.

Dear Santa,

I write to you this year to ask for gifts for all the children around the world. I would like:

An end to war and violence in their homelands,
Homes and not tents,
Freedom from slavery and child labor,
Clean Water,
Adequate nutrition,
An end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic,
Accessible healthcare,
An end to child mortality from preventable diseases,
A stop to the use of child soldiers,
An escape from hunger,
Vaccinations for preventable diseases,
A home where they are surrounded by people who genuinely love and care for them,
The right to play and enjoy the youth for which they are blessed,
Education,
Gender Equality,
An end to child marriage,
That girls will no longer endure Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),
An end to the use of rape as a weapon of war,
Freedom from physical and sexual abuse, and
Most of all I ask that you bring the children love and hope!

I know the list is long and daunting, but if you can bring the children just a one or two things on the list this year millions of children will have a happier 2012, and millions more will get a chance to live. The request is really that you bring children their childhood, and give them hope for the future.

Merry Christmas,
Cassandra