Empowering Women to Lead, Learn, Advocate, and Collaborate

2024 Addressing Modern Slavery

Print/PDF

Published in: GENERAL

Category:

IFBPW

Sub-Category:

GENERAL

Resolution Number:

500.10.34

Club:

Province:

Year:

2024

Status:

Open

Background:

However, in the modern-day world there are numerous individuals who do not fit into either one of those categories. In fact, there are forced migrants who don’t meet the definition of a refugee in the meaning of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Migration policies need to be updated to recognize what is happening in 2025 and ensure they are simplified to accept those most in need.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) advises that “forced labour and slavery are not a thing of the past.” Their definition of forced or compulsory labour is: “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the threat of a penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily.”

A 2022 report from produced by the ILO and others estimated that 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, of which almost half were trapped in forced marriage. The report found that the number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years.

Most victim-survivors of human trafficking are women (46%) or children (34%) (UN). Globally it is estimated that one in four victims of modern slavery are children (Unseen UK). More than half (52 per cent) of all forced labour and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle income or high-income countries.

Comments:

BPW International resolves that all Affiliates urge their governments to:
a. introduce legislation requiring all businesses take action to prevent, mitigate or remedy any instances of modern slavery or worker exploitation in their domestic or international operations
b. impose graduated levels of action and reporting requirements commensurate with the size and resources of the business; and
c. require mandatory contract clauses to prevent Modern Slavery
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women urge the Government of Canada;
specifically the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and Minister of Justice to enforce current labour standards to protect workers, both domestic and foreign, who may be in forced labour situation;
and to have a public awareness campaign with a tip line for potential victims to give account of potential abuses and supports if they need to be removed, particularly in the case of human trafficking and forced marriages of which the majority of victims are women.
BPW Canada has sponsored many resolutions on Human Trafficking over the years, most recently in 2024 “Human Trafficking National Strategy Needs an Extension, Perpetuity, and Unilateral Responses”.

Article ID: 22299