50 million people across the world are still bound in 'modern slavery': UN
September 12, 2022, 6:00 pm

50 million people across the world are still bound in 'modern slavery': UN

United Nations

50 million people worldwide are subject to forced labour or forced marriage, the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) announced Monday (Sep 12). It warned that the number of these people has substantially increased in recent years.

AFP reports that as per the new report, despite the United Nations' 2030 deadline to end all forms of modern slavery, the number of individuals subjected to forced labour or forced marriage increased by 10 million between 2016 and 2021.

The 2021 global estimates showed that much more men, women, and children have been forced to work or marry in the period since the previous estimates released in 2017.

It said 27.6 million people, or 3.5 people in every 1,000 worldwide, are in situations of forced labor, more than 3.3 million of whom are children, and 22 million who were forced into forced marriage.

That means that almost one in every 150 individuals worldwide is a victim of modern-day slavery.

One in five people who are compelled to work are children, and the survey stated that more than half of them are engaged in commercial sexual exploitation.

Child marriages and teenage pregnancies are costing Uganda's social economic progress and not conducive to the country's wealth creation and prosperity - Photo. Pixabay

Out of the total, Asia and the Pacific host more than half with 15.1 people facing forced labor in the region, while 4.1 million people are forced to work in Europe and Central Asia, 3.8 million in Africa, 3.6 million in the Americas, and 900,000 people in the Arab States.

According to the ILO, migrant workers were more than three times more likely to experience forced labour than domestic workers, with more than half of all cases occurring in upper-middle-income or high-income nations.

Modern slavery in UK records an increase up to 62% on the previous year

In the lead-up to the FIFA soccer World Cup, which begins in November, Qatar was mentioned in the report. The nation is under fire for allegedly violating labour laws in relation to migrants working there.

The ILO study also made mentioned concerns regarding forced labour in several regions of China.

"Nothing can justify the persistence of this fundamental abuse of human rights," said Guy Ryder, head of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.