CYIL 2012

JANA ONDROVIČOVÁ

CYIL 3 ȍ2012Ȏ

6. NGO’s and modern slavery Having international standards adopted at the international level as well as legislation adopted by individual states at the national level are one side of the fight against all forms of slavery that exist in the modern world. At the same time it is also necessary to ensure an efficient solution for every individual problem. We have to take into account that the most important work in developing resolutions is led by NGOs in this field. They work at local, national and international levels to eliminate the systems of slavery around the world. They investigate and report on slavery and promote action to eliminate this abuse. They work throughout the world through local partners wherever slavery is found. They usually provide the legal and financial help to the victim of slavery. The most famous NGO, Anti-Slavery International 30 , deals with all forms of modern slavery. It is the world’s oldest international human rights organisation and works to eliminate all forms of slavery around the world. Anti-Slavery International, founded in 1839, works at local, national and international levels by supporting research to assess the scale of slavery in order to identify measures to end it, working with local organisations to raise public awareness of slavery, educating the public about the realities of slavery and campaigning for its end as well as lobbying governments and intergovernmental agencies to make slavery a priority issue and to develop and implement plans to eliminate slavery. constitutes one of the largest, yet least visible service industries in the world. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that between 4 and 10 per cent of the employed workforce in developing countries is engaged in domestic work. Domestic work is work performed in or for a household and includes cooking, cleaning, washing, gardening, being a chauffeur, taking care of children, the elderly and domestic pets. It remains a highly gendered activity. Throughout the world, the vast majority of domestic workers are women. Employment patterns vary. In the Middle East and many Asian countries, domestic workers, women in particular, are typically expected to live in the employer’s households. In Europe and a growing number of Southern American countries, a higher proportion of domestic workers live on their own, often working for more than one employer. Owing to the indicated vulnerabilities, domestic workers are often subject to unfair and exploitative labour practices. Some are paid way below minimum wage standards or not at all, while others are confronted with the arbitrary deduction or withholding of wages. Many domestic workers are expected to live with their employers, yet are only offered substandard or degrading living conditions. Live-in workers might be expected to work 16-18 hours a day, be always on call and forego regular rest days and vacations. They frequently face restrictions on their freedom of communication and movement. Physical, emotional and sexual abuse is also common. The line between domestic work accompanied by serious violations of fair labour standards and domestic servitude and slavery is difficult to draw. Slavery and servitude have in common that the victim is economically exploited, and totally dependent on other individuals. Domestic servitude and domestic slavery can be distinguished by the fact that the exploitation takes place primarily in or around the household of the perpetrators. In many cases, these phenomena go hand in hand with other forms of servitude and slavery. Beyond having to do household chores, for instance, a victim might be forced to work in agriculture, in the market or engage in prostitution. See: ILO, “ Decent work for domestic workers ”, report IV(1) (2009); see also Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences , 2010. 30 see: http://www.antislavery.org/english/ ( opened 4. 4. 2012 ).

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