Exploiting West Africas children: trafficking,

slavery and uneven development

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)- 1990

Article 1

a child means every human being below the age of

eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the
child, majority is attained earlier.
International law as locus of paradoxes

Global contestations over the

rights of the child
International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No.
138 on the minimum age for admission to employment
and work
The minimum age at which Possible exceptions for
children can start work. developing countries
Hazardous work
Any work which is likely to jeopardize childrens 18
18
physical, mental or moral heath, safety or morals (16 under strict
(16 under strict conditions)
should not be done by anyone under the age of 18. conditions)
Basic Minimum Age
The minimum age for work should not be below the
age for finishing compulsory schooling, and in any 15 14
case not less than 15.
Light work
Children between the ages of 13 and 15 years old
may do light work, as long as it does not threaten
13-15 12-14
their health and safety, or hinder their education or
vocational orientation and training.
Child Trafficking
As defined by the UN General Assembly in 1994, trafficking is

the illegal and clandestine movement of persons across national and

international borders . . . with the end goal of forcing women, girls and
children into sexually or economically oppressive and exploitative situations.
(quoted in Child Workers in Asia undated, 1)

Purpose + Presence of Movement

Trafficking is NOT Slavery
Slavery: a form of exploitation
Trafficking: a means to exploitation.
UNICEF-UK:
slavery is against the will of the individual, traffickers in West
Africa elicit consent via mythical tales of the good life and the
false perception these generate (Frenkiel 2001, 67; Thiessen
2001, 19).
Trafficking = Slavery
Bass: trafficking is a new form of slavery (2004, 152).

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell: trafficking is a

modern form of slavery (Salah 2001, 2).
 Trafficking vs Slavery
Trafficking Slavery
Movement (through migration Loss of freedom of movement
within and across national (through violence or threat,
borders) coercion and containment)
Exploitation of custom and Exploitation of labour power
tradition (the practice of child (through force, coercion and loss
fostering) and inequality (through of freedom of movement)
deception, fraud and control)
Child trafficking in West Africa-
The exploitation of poverty
Child trafficking in West Africa-
The exploitation of custom and tradition
Local tradition of vidomegon
False promises of reciprocity and return abuse of Africas extended
family tradition
In the west African culture, the idea of adults harming children
especially when those adults are relatives or friends is an alien
concept
Conclusion
Trafficking and Slavery are related yet different forms of exploitation
Child traffickers are agents of slaveholders but they are not
themselves slavers.
References
Bass
Salah