Iqbal: Based on the Life of Iqbal Masih Child Labor Iqbal: Based on the Life of Iqbal Masih

Child Labor Statistics Child labor is classified as: when a child is either too young to work or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development. An estimated 150 million Child labors worldwide Around 13 per cent of children aged 5 to 14 in developing countries are involved in child labor

Human Developmental Index A tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank countries' levels of social and economic development based on four criteria: Life Expectancy at birth Mean years of schooling Expected years of schooling Per capita GDP

Human Developmental index

Images of Child Labor

Images of Child Labor

Pakistan

Iqbal Masih Iqbal was born in 1982 in a small village in Pakistan His father left the family His brother was getting married so the family had to pay for the wedding they borrowed 600 Rupees ($12 dollars) At age 4 Iqbal was bonded into slavery at a carpet factory

Iqbal Masih Iqbal worked a year for free as a carpet apprentice Iqbal’s master would add food, tools and interest to the debt owned by his family Iqbal’s family debt increased to 13,000 Rupees ($216 dollars)

Iqbal Masih The working conditions were horrible Work 6 days a week 14 hours a day Punished for talking or making mistake Beatings, chained to looms, isolated in a dark room, and hung upside down Iqbal was under 4 feet tall, 60 pounds, had a curved spine, & arthritious

Iqbal Masih At 10 Iqbal escaped & joined the Pakistan Bonded Liberation Front He received an education & became a leader around the issue of child slavery Iqbal efforts helped free hundreds of child slaves in Pakistan Iqbal won the Reebok Human Rights Award & traveled to the U.S.

Iqbal Masih In 1995 Iqbal was visiting family when he was shot and killed He was 13 The murder has never been solved In 2000 he received the World’s Child Prize for his efforts working against child slavery In 2009 Congress created the Iqbal Masih Award giving to a person who fight for the rights of children and against slavery

Discussion How can child slavery exist? Weak & Corrupt governments Lack of rights and freedoms for citizens Lack of education Lack of laws No enforcement of laws

Discussion How can countries and aid organizations help the issue of child slavery? Get countries to pass and enforce child slavery laws Get governments to make child education mandatory Make companies responsible for the products they sell so that they can verify that the products are not made by children Send United Nations inspectors into countries that hid child slavery