Today, April 16, various events are taking place in many countries around the world on the occasion of the International Day Against Child Slavery, UNN reports.
The event is set in honor of a 12-year-old Pakistani boy, Iqbal Masih, who refused to be forced to work and was brutally murdered by the man who exploited him.
Various non-governmental organizations estimate that up to nine million children in the world are currently in modern-day slavery.
The concept of child slavery includes such categories as child trafficking, sexual exploitation of children, child soldiers, marriage of children, and domestic servitude of children.
On the eve of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine was ranked 49th out of 167 countries in the Global Slavery Index. It is believed that one in six out of a thousand Ukrainians has experienced slavery. And there are definitely children among the victims.
Last year, Ukrainian police documented 116 cases of human trafficking. Among the victims were 16 children, as well as 37 men and 27 women.
65 traffickers received the status of suspects.
Since the beginning of Russian aggression, about two million Ukrainian children have found themselves abroad. All of them are in a potential risk zone, because in a foreign country, sometimes without adult supervision, they can unfortunately become victims of labor, sexual or other types of slavery.
Law enforcement and civil society organizations are constantly reminding children and adults alike of the basic advice they need to take to avoid falling into modern slavery:
- Do not trust strangers;
- Never give your passport or other identity documents to anyone, and keep copies of them separate from the originals;
- Keep in constant contact with a loved one in Ukraine, especially when crossing the border;
- Keep your most important contacts at hand: hotline numbers, volunteers, lawyers, embassy addresses, etc.