WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today marking the beginning of “End Child Slavery Week.” DeLauro also introduced a resolution today designating November 20 to November 26, 2014 as “End Child Slavery Week.” The purpose of this week is to raise awareness of human rights abuses against children and to acknowledge the global fight against child slavery and child labor.

“Today, there are an estimated 168 million child laborers across the globe. These young boys and girls often work in hazardous conditions in fields like mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and domestic work where their health, safety, and moral development are negatively impacted. Six million of these children are forced into slave labor or sexual exploitation. These children are sometimes chained to looms to weave carpets, kidnapped to fight in adult wars, forced to leave school to pick cotton, or sold to brothels. This is unconscionable.

“As a global community, we must work to end human rights abuses against children, and dedicate our energy and resources to fighting against child slavery and child labor. We must continue to build upon the efforts of courageous individuals like 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and fight to give a voice to the most vulnerable members of society. No child should be forced to live in slavery when they should be in school and protected from all forms of exploitation.”  

The Department of Labor has identified 134 goods sold in the United States that are produced with forced or child labor in 70 countries.

DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. She is a longtime advocate for increasing access to education, ending child trafficking and child sex exploitation, and strengthening U.S. and international labor laws.  

Last October, DeLauro introduced a resolution committing Members of Congress in the fight against domestic trafficking. That resolution, declaring “Our Daughters Are Not For Sale,” currently has 84 cosponsors, from both sides of the aisle. It condemns child trafficking and sexual exploitation, and encourages law enforcement to help victims and end these practices for good.


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