Editorial of the Day (20th Mar): Forced Labour-ILO Report

International Labour Organization (ILO) is a leading authority on forced labour, and their reports provide valuable insights into the scope and impact of this global issue.

Context: A study by the International Labour Organization (ILO), released in Geneva has found that forced labour generates illegal profits worth $36 billion per year.

Key Findings of the Forced Labour-ILO Report

Definition of Forced Labour

The ILO defines forced labour as involuntary work enforced through coercion or threats at any employment stage.

Dominance of Sexual Exploitation: Sexual exploitation constitutes $173 billion, three-fourths of total profits from forced labour, as reported by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Increase in Profits: A 37% surge in forced labour profits since a decade ago, with an increase of $64 billion as per 2021 ILO figures.

Global Prevalence: On a typical day in 2021, around 27.6 million people were in forced labour, a 10% increase from five years earlier.
Victims of Forced Labour: Out of these, 6.3 million, predominantly girls and women, suffered forced sexual exploitation, with children over one-quarter.
Geographical Spread: Over half of forced labour occurs in the Asia-Pacific region, with Africa, the Americas, and Europe-Central Asia each hosting about 13-14%.
Types of Forced Labour: Private sector forced labour accounts for 85%, including slavery, serfdom, bonded labour, and exploitative begging.
Profit Distribution by Sector: The industry sector makes $35 billion, services nearly $21 billion, agriculture $5 billion, and domestic work $2.6 billion in illicit profits.
Efforts and Challenges: Despite global efforts to eliminate forced labour, progress is insufficient to meet the UN goal of eradication by 2030.