exploitedchildren

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The obscenity of a society that closes its eyes in the face of the major issues

Child labour is one of the most obscene issues in our society, one of those problems people don’t want to see. Even though prohibited by legislation worldwide, the number of children exploited is growing. According to Unicef, 2021 registered the first increase in two decades, with cases rising to 160 million worldwide because of covid-19.

There is a consistent number of countries where child labour is not forbidden. Poverty and discrimination are the main causes, but conflicts and the pandemic gave a big hand in spreading the situations that degenerate into this modern-day slavery.

Child labour: modern-day slavery for the western world

Exploited children produce goods that fill the stores of the western world. Or call it that side of the world where either people ignore or pretend to ignore these issues. Whether it’s having the latest mobile device or a fancy car, it’s considered better than facing the truth about the small hands that extract the materials used to make our toys.

And so, we dedicate each day to specific matters giving them the priority for that day. Specifically, the world day against child labour was on 12 June. On an annual basis, we see impactful graphics and beautiful words that end up in nothing. They just become content for social media, but nothing ever changes.

These kinds of stories are as old as the earth. So, if we aren’t able to eradicate them, but we still abuse children’s rights, we have serious problems.

There can be no true sustainability without ethical labor. And if sustainable products are a priority, addressing child labor must come first. How can we talk about sustainability when the number of children involved in production chains has increased over time?

There is an organization committed to creating lasting change, called Still I Rise. Their projects are not endless; they focus on solving specific problems in a given area before moving on to the next. Education is at the heart of their mission, and they open schools to empower those in need.
Please, check them out here and donate if you can!