Empty classrooms and full fields, may not sounds so frightening at first. One could be talking about field days out for a bit of fun, or seeing the children running on the soccer field. Sadly we are talking about forced child labor, and denial of education by a country, for the sake of profit. A profit in which the children left in the fields to toil in the sun and work long and exhausting hours, will see no benefit from.
How to you make sure you don't buy something that was not only made slave free, but not made with slave or child picked cotton? You can check consumer reports to see that clothing companies are adhering to appropriate labor and quality standards, but how do you find out if the cotton they are buying was picked fairly? You don't, there is no label on your clothing to tell you that where the cotton is picked.
Is it really as complicated for manufactures and suppliers to find out? The truth is no, and a recent media investigation by the BBC in Uzbekistan, as brought the situation into the public spotlight. In Uzbekistan the government children as young as 9 years old, are forced from their classrooms to work long hours in the harsh cotton fields to fill the quotas. The investigation only illustrated the illusion that cotton buyers have, especially regarding the use of child labor. The use of forced child labor in the Uzbek cotton fields, is as blatant as is the governments strong hold over the situation. Children are used to drive one of the countries biggest industries, and fatten the pockets of the countries political elite. Those who’ve even a small window into the the Uzbek cotton industry, or spent time in the country, can see that the use of forced child labor is a problem.
Using children into the fields while forcibly denning them an education, is a blatant human rights violation, and therefore companies must make a more concerted effort to ensure that the use of child or slave labor is not used. While the supply chain can get complicated in the production of garments, it is not impossible to establish the if cotton is being picked by children. While it may be tedious to uncover where the raw materials are really coming from, the reality is that international governments and corporations have been turning a blind eye, as they don't want to know, or honestly just lack the motivation to investigate the truth behind cotton.
Uzbekistan is the second largest exporter of cotton, and therefore hard to avoid, but still many are asking if it is avoidable. the reality is a outright boycott is often not the answer. However companies who purchase and knowingly use Uzbek cotton, must take a stand and demand the government establish and follow proper labor standards, and ensure children, or adults are not forcibly placed in the cotton fields. However painstaking an investigation, and moderating the situation may be, it should never be used as a reason, nor could it ever be placed over the wellbeing over a child. By setting an example that the international community will not stand for goods and raw materials, which are produced by children we can work with governments to find suitable and sustainable solutions, which will benefit the industry, the country and the consumer…but most of all protect the rights of the children.
In early 2005 Michael Hall from the International Crisis Group stated that, “Each region has state quotas on cotton that come from above. As long as these are in place, and as long as local, appointed administrators feel their survival depends on meeting them, this will continue” (Central Asia struggles to end child labour).
Uzbekistan has not been alone in the battle against child labor, as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have all been in the spotlight in recent years. Tajikistan has had an almost mirror image situation to the Uzbek's when forcing children from school to pick cotton in the fields. It appears the international community and corporations who are buying cotton, have failed to listen to previous warnings. Let us hope that this time the international community will come together and work to put an end to the use of child labor in Central Asia.
Related Articles and Links:
In follow-up to the story by the BBC, the Embassy of Uzbekistan issued a statement, in which they stated that the problem of child labor ended some 15-20 years ago. “The legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan forbids any form of child labour on the cotton fields.”
White Gold: The True Cost of Cotton
Child labour and the High Street
UZBEKISTAN 2005 – Forced labour continues in cotton industry
TAJIKISTAN 2004- Children skip school to pick cotton
Child Labor Guide
BBC Episode Parts 1-3
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