Annual Review2012

Annual Review2012

1Anti-Slavery International is committedto eliminating all forms of slaverythroughout the world including forcedlabour, bonded labour, trafficking ofhuman beings, descent-based slaveryand the worst forms of child labour.Slavery denies millions of people theirbasic dignity and violates theirfundamental human rights.

Anti-Slavery International works to endthese abuses by:• Gathering evidence and exposing

cases of slavery.• Campaigning for its eradication.• Supporting the initiatives of local

organisations to release people and address the causes of slavery.

• Pressing for more effectiveenforcement of existing laws, and for the development of new laws where needed.

Cover picture: Bonded labourersin brick kilns in India. Photo: Pete Pattisson

Right: Talibés, boys in Qur’anicschools in Senegal, are sentout to beg to earn their keep.Photo: Émilie Régnier

This Review covers the period April 2011 toMarch 2012

Anti-Slavery InternationalThomas Clarkson House The StableyardBroomgrove Road, London SW9 9TLUnited Kingdom

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fax: +44 (0)20 7738 4110

email: info@antislavery.orgwww.antislavery.org

Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest internationalhuman rights organisation, has consultative status with theUnited Nations Economic and Social Council.

Registered Charity 1049160 Company limited by guarantee 3079904 Registered in England

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Chair’s and Director’s ReportThis year saw the International Labour Organization almost double their estimateof forced labour in the world to a minimumof 20.9 million people. In spite of the horrorof that statistic it represents an increasedfocus of some major institutions on theissue and a welcome realism about thematter.

We have, in 2012, made some importantcontributions towards this greater realism.We have worked closely with CNN on theiryear-long season highlighting this issue toglobal audiences and will be workingclosely over the next year with the Guardianto do likewise.

Our online presence is an important andauthoritative hub of information. Over15,000 supporters on our social mediachannels sharing our messages areinstrumental in raising public awareness ofslavery and prompting others to takeaction.

In India, following considerable programmedevelopment work with our local partners,we have launched an intervention on brick-kiln labour, initially starting from threedistricts in Punjab. In the first year ofintervention, Anti-Slavery aims to work withnearly 10,000 kiln workers supporting them

to secure their government entitlements,including implementation of the factory actto reduce instances of bonded labour inthe kilns.

Our work on education as a means toreduce vulnerability to slavery continues.In Nepal we work with our partners on aproject to provide vocational andmainstream education to school childrenfrom former bonded labourers’ families. InWest Africa, in Niger and Senegal, we workto ensure that children vulnerable toslavery obtain a decent education.

We have supported CDWs in Tanzania,Togo, India, Philippines, Costa Rica andPeru to come together to advocate for theirrights. Their movement is growing withsome of these groups bringing togetherover 100 of children to ask for legislativereform before Ministers and MPs.

In 2012 the chocolate company Mondelezannounced that it was investing $400million over the next 10 years in trying toestablish a sustainable supply chain, freefrom child and forced labour. We havebeen working on this issue for many yearsfirst with Cadbury, and now with Mondelezwho now own Cadbury.

Working closely with a multi-nationalcorporation on these difficult issues may

Aidan McQuade,Director

cause concern amongst somestakeholders. We know that there are risksbut it is also a great opportunity to directlyinfluence the process of unprecedentedchange in the West African cocoa sectorand it would be unforgivable not to take it.

We are also engaging business on otherissues such as forced labour in Uzbekistan’scotton fields, sumangali (the forced labour ofgirls and young women in India’s garmentfactories) and exploitation of workers in theUK hotel industry.

All these projects work with government,the wider community and stakeholders toinfluence policy and practice.

For over 172 years Anti-Slavery Internationalhas been a vital organisation in the struggleagainst slavery. We will continue this strugglefor as long as it takes.

Paul Whitehouse,Chair of Trustees

Child Domestic Work Anti-Slavery has been working with partners in nine countriesimplementing nearly 50 small projects aimed at improving the lives ofchild domestic workers. Through this work, thousands of childrenhave benefited from direct service provisions and have engaged withpartners in campaigns towards policy change.

In June 2011, after over two years of campaigning, the InternationalLabour Conference adopted Convention 189 on Decent Work forDomestic Workers. The Convention recognisesthe rights that domestic workers have beendenied for so long and opens the possibility foran estimated 50 to 100 million workers, many ofthem children, to be protected.

Following the adoption of the Convention Anti-Slavery International and its partners have workedto push for its ratification by as many governmentsas possible. Notable progress has been made in anumber of countries resulting in national legislationbeing amended to allow for the ratification of theConvention. Anti-Slavery International was also apart of the ITUC 12-by-12 campaign seeking 12ratifications by the end of 2012.

Child Labour

Facing page: Talibés, boys in Qur’anic schools in Senegal suffer poor conditions andare vulnerable to abuse. Photo: Émilie Régnier

Middle: Anti-Slavery International was at the forefront of the campaign aiming forratifications of the ILO convention providing protection for domestic workers across theglobe. Photo: Anti-Slavery International

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Forced child beggingDuring 2012 Anti-Slavery and its partners continued to work to endthe forced child begging of talibés in Senegal. Talibés are childrenaged five-fifteen years, almost exclusively boys, who study inQur’anic schools (daaras) under teachers (marabouts). Most daarasdo not charge the students for their studies, food or accommodation.Instead, the marabouts force the children to beg for their keep.Farfrom their parents and living in squalid conditions, they areimpoverished, vulnerable to disease and poor nutrition, and subject

to physical and emotional abuse if they fail to meettheir financial ‘quota’ from begging.

The project aims to encourage the government ofSenegal to enforce anti-forced begging laws and tointroduce and roll-out a national modern-daaraprogramme, where children can learn the Qur'an insafe conditions regulated by the State, and wherethey are not forced to beg.

Local partners Tostan completed their initial trainingof eight communities in the northern region of Foutafrom where many talibés originate. They mobilisedcommunities and marabouts to lobby localauthorities for a state-run modern-daara in their

locality, securing the local mayor’s support. Subsequently two furthercommunities were added to the programme.

Anti-Slavery and Tostan are also working with RADDHO, Senegal’sleading human rights organisation, to lobby at the national level.This will maximise the opportunities afforded by the election inMarch 2012 of a new President in Senegal, Macky Sall.

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Anti-Slavery International continued to support efforts for justice for victimsof slavery in Mauritania. While November 2011 had seen the first-everprosecution of a slave-owner for enslaving two young boys, in April 2012 theslave-owner was released on bail pending his appeal. However, pressurefrom Anti-Slavery International and its partners has resulted in properinvestigations and hearings in several other slavery cases.

The rise of rebel movements in northern Mali has meant that many slave-owners have left the region, abandoning their slaves. Although this presentsAnti-Slavery International’s partner organisation, Temedt, with a uniqueopportunity to reach and assist vulnerable people, people of slave descentface significant risks in the crisis. Reports indicate that they have beentargeted by Islamist groups for Sharia punishments (including amputationsof limbs, stoning and floggings), as they have no one to defend them. Theytypically have no safety nets or means to flee affected areas. Those whoreach refugee camps are typically with their masters.

Cases of slavery that were pending before the courts in the north have beensuspended. Furthermore, some of the slave-owning classes have used thecurrent chaos as an opportunity to re-claim former slaves. Anti-SlaveryInternational and Temedt have been campaigning to ensure that slaveryissues are not overlooked in efforts to address the crisis in the North.

Anti-Slavery International and its partner Timidria campaigned around the‘wahaya’ practice in Niger, whereby girls and women of slave descent arebought and sold as ‘fifth wives’ or ‘wahaya’. The girls’ consent is neverobtained, and no marriage ceremony takes place to confer a religious or legalstatus on the union. They are referred to as ‘fifth wives’ as they are additionalto the four wives permitted in Niger. However, they are not officially married totheir master and thus benefit from none of the rights and protection to whichlegal wives have recourse. The wahaya are essentially enslaved for domesticand agricultural or pastoral labour and sexual gratification. An Anti-Slavery

Slavery Based on Descent

Facing page: campaign to end the ‘Wahaya’practice in NigerPhoto: Anti-Slavery International

Anti-Slavery AwardThe winners of the 2012 Anti-Slavery Award were the anti-slavery organisation Temedt and its president Ibrahim AgIdbaltanat who were honoured for their outstandingdedication and groundbreaking work towards ending slaveryin Mali.

In his acceptance speech IbrahimAg Idbaltanat (pictured) said: ‘Anti-Slavery International has chosen togive its prestigious award to a‘Bellah’ – as we call the people ofslave descent in Mali. This sends astrong message to all Malians. Thisact is extraordinary in Mali becauseit gives international recognition to the work of people fromthe slave classes of society, the Eklan, for theaccomplishments of Temedt. This is a great source ofencouragement in our daily struggle for the emancipationand development of all human beings.’

International report published in late 2011 drew ontestimonies from individual wahaya to expose the realities ofthis practice and presented recommendations to end thepractice. In his address to the nation in December 2011, thePresident of the Republic referred to Anti-Slavery’s report andaffirmed his commitment to ending slavery, in particular thewahaya practice.

Anti-Slavery International and its Niger partnerorganisation Timidria continued to provide qualityprimary education for over 300 children (57%boys, 43% girls) in newly settled communities offormer slaves in six remote villages in northernNiger.

Through donations from supporters Anti-Slaveryhas provided exercise books and teachingmaterials. Each school now has sports equipmentand a library with over 70 reading books. We havealso supported the building of three wells in thecommunities to ensure the students and the wholecommunity have access to safe and clean water.

Small business loans with low interest have beenmade to students’ mothers who have formedmicro-credit groups across the six villages. Theyhave used them to buy animals to rear andequipment for small businesses such as donkeysand carts to sell wood or straw. They have alsoset up co-operative shops where 10% of theprofits are given back to the schools. Thesegroups have been vital to improving the localeconomy and providing families with an income.

Teachers and communities have benefited fromtraining on health and hygiene issues as well aslegal assistance and advice. The entire populationof the six villages (3000 people) were vaccinatedagainst measles, whooping cough and weretreated for intestinal parasites and trachoma.

Community Schools in Niger

Facing page: School for children of former slaves in NigerPhoto: Anti-Slavery International

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The school year has proved challenging becauseof the drought in the region and the consequentneed for families to travel in search of food andwater. Anti-Slavery has provided school meals inorder to ensure that children can remain inschool, but as food costs continue to risesharply, this has proved difficult.

However, the Niger schools enjoy support froma range of sources, and when solar panels andschool buildings in the village of Inazgar weredamaged by severe storms, children from theGillespie Primary School in North Londonraised over £3,000 to send to the school. Otherlarge donations from individuals and trustshave also helped to meet the funding deficits.

Local staff identified the need to intervene toensure that young girls in the villages where theschools are located would not be given inmarriage to men returning home from Libya andCote d’Ivoire following the conflict in thosecountries. Timidria staff ran an awareness-raising campaign on the rights of girls and thedangers of early marriage, supported by thelocal authorities, at the beginning of theacademic year. The project also deliveredtraining on gender equality for school staff andcommunity members involved with the project.

“I am Ama, and I am eightyears old. I go to school inInazgar, my village, and I loveit. My teacher is very kind andtells us funny stories. Myfavourite lesson is maths; Iam the top of the class. I liketo dance with my friends;sometimes we make up newdances. My mum is veryhappy and proud that I go toschool. My mum never went toschool, so I help her byreading and writing for her.When I grow up I want to be ateacher.”

Education for Children of Former BondedLabourers in NepalAnti-Slavery International’s project isbeing implemented in ten districts ofNepal, to provide vocational training andremedial education for out of schoolchildren of former bonded labourers, orchildren who have themselves beenbonded.

This year a total of 205 children fromformer bonded labour communitiesreceived preparatory classes so as toenable them to join mainstream schools.Altogether 202 children were admitted forvocational training.

In the hills the project collaborated withthe Nepalese government's Department ofSmall Industries, to provide vocationaltraining to children. The skills childrenlearnt this year included carpentry, knittingand tailoring, radio, TV, motor cycle andmobile phone repairing.

An almost equal number of girls and boysparticipated in the training courses. Manyof the older children who completed theireducation have now started employmentand are earning money for their livelihoodsand are able to support their families.

Bonded Labour

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Brick-kiln industry IndiaIn August 2012, Anti-Slavery launched aproject for the empowerment of bondedlabourers in the brick-kiln industry in threestates in India - Punjab, Haryana andChandigar. This project supports bondedlabourers to access their entitlements tostate support, works with brick-kilnowners and the local authorities to bringthe factories under the Factory Act India(which specifies a minimum wage andprohibits child labour) and help workers toself organise into workplace associations.

There are brick kilns throughout India, witha small state like Punjab having around3000 kilns. The brick kiln industry is veryuniform across India, with each kilnemploying around 200 workers. Anti-Slavery is therefore seeking additionalfunding to extend this project in order tocover more brick kilns and benefit moreworkers.

Facing page: Whole families, including children, areaffected by bonded labour in Indian brick kilns.Photo: Anti-Slavery International

Right: Workers in bonded labour in the Indian brickkilns.Photo: Pete Pattisson

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Anti-Slavery worked to ensure that traffickingremains a high priority on the UK Government’sagenda. We contributed to the development ofthe new UK anti-trafficking strategy, we joined theindependent advisory group of the UK HumanTrafficking Centre and now sit on two stakeholdersubgroups convened by the Home Office.

Anti-Slavery chaired the forced labour sub-groupof the London 2012 Human Trafficking Network, anetwork of over 50 agencies concerned about thepotential risk of trafficking posed by the Olympics.The Network was co-ordinated by the MetropolitanPolice, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime,Eaves Housing-Poppy Project, Anti-SlaveryInternational and the London SafeguardingChildren’s Board.

Together with La Strada International, Anti-Slavery continued to co-ordinate Act forCompensation for Trafficked Persons in Europe(COMP.ACT) an initiative started in 2010 tocreate a pan-European campaign oncompensation. The COMP.ACT project is beingdelivered through a coalition of organisations in15 different countries. The campaign enjoys theinstitutional support of the Council of Europeand the Organisation for Security andCooperation in Europe (OSCE). This project hasresulted in nearly ten successful compensationclaims, with a number pending across the 14countries.

Trafficking in Human BeingsCOMP.ACT has received significantrecognition Europe-wide and has beenpresented as a model of good practice by theEuropean Commission, OSCE and the Councilof Europe.

In addition, Anti-Slavery hosts the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG), anindependent body comprised of nineleading UK-based anti-traffickingorganisations, established to monitor theUK’s compliance with its obligations underthe European Trafficking Convention. TheATMG published its second report AllChange: Preventing Trafficking in the UK.The ATMG’s reports have had a significantimpact on the UK’s anti-trafficking policyand programming, and have contributed toimproved data collection about theincidence of trafficking in the UK.

During the year there was a major policeoperation which found homeless people inslavery at traveller sites in Bedfordshire,Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Theperpetrators were prosecuted under theslavery offence in the Coroners and JusticeAct 2009, introduced following a successfulcampaign by Anti-Slavery International. Thecase resulted in extensive media coverage,including on Radio 4’s Today Programme andon the front page of the Times.

Facing page: Anti-Slavery worked to ensureworkers rights are respected in allindustries.

Top: Leaflets in over ten languagesinforming migrant workers arriving in theUK of their rights and providing contactinformation in case they find themselves inan exploitative situation.

Above: ATMG’s reports and COMP.ACT’spractical resources influence policy andpractice both domestically and in Europe.

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State sponsored forced labour in Uzbekistan’scotton fieldsAnti-Slavery succeeded in mobilising theEuropean Parliament to take action calling foran end to state-sponsored forced child labourin Uzbekistan’s cotton fields. Following ourtestimony at the Parliament’s TradeCommittee and ongoing engagement withMEPs, the Parliament rejected legislation toextend the terms of a trade agreement withUzbekistan to the trade in textiles, citingconcerns about the ongoing use of forcedchild labour. This action has been describedas unprecedented and sends a very strongmessage from the Parliament.

In December 2011, Catherine Bearder MEPinvited Anti-Slavery and a group of schoolchildren from the Bishop Bell school inEastbourne to hand in our petition signed by14000 supporters calling for an end to tradepreferences for Uzbekistan. In April 2011 Anti-Slavery submitted evidence setting out thebasis for an investigation into Uzbekistan’strade preferences, which was supported by anumber of stakeholders, includingbusinesses, NGOs and trade unions. We willcontinue to work at the EU level as well as atthe UN and the International LabourOrganization (ILO) to end to the use of forcedlabour in Uzbekistan.

Forced Labour in Supply Chain

Facing page: Cotton Crimes campaign works to endthe use of forced labour of children and adults inUzbekistan’s cotton industry.

In partnership with the International SlaveryMuseum, we delivered a series of workshopswith students from Enterprise South LiverpoolAcademy on our Cotton Crimes campaign withthe students going on to raise awareness andcollect signatures for the campaign amongsttheir peers and community group. Theworkshops culminated with studentspresenting their work at the annual Federationof International Human Rights MuseumsConference in October.

We have also launched a campaign callingfor retailers to take concrete steps to ensurethat their goods do not contain cotton fromUzbekistan.

Olympics campaignThis project aimed to ensure that risks relatedto a potential increase in trafficking and forcedlabour around the Olympics were mitigatedand that adequate anti-trafficking measureswere in place.

The project ensured that the Olympics wereincluded in the Government anti-traffickingstrategy, that information on trafficking wasincluded in the training for Olympic volunteersas well as in the athletes' packs. Thecampaign also raised awareness in sourcecountries – for example the project providedinformation for websites of embassies in topcountries of origin and raised awareness ofthe new forced labour offence in the UKamong migrant organisations.

Anti-Slavery continued to play an active role inPlayfair 2012, which put pressure on sponsorsand the London Organising Committee to raisestandards for workers in the Olympic supplychain. We worked with the TUC to develop aneducation pack Fair’s Fair: Life and rights in theglobal sports industry, which was very popularwith schools.

As part of the legacy work, Anti-Slavery hasbeen invited to pass on experience at aseminar on labour trafficking in Serbia whichis the main country of origin for men traffickedfor construction work in Sochi, the venue ofthe 2014 Olympics.

FundraisingGovernance costsWorst forms of child labourTraffickingDebt bondage / Bonded LabourForced labourDescent-based slaveryCampaigning and Advocacy

11%

3%

10%

16%

9%34%

8%

9%

9%

8%

IndividualsInstitutional grantsLegaciesPublications and other salesTrusts, foundations and corporateOther

15%

0.7%

25%

4%

1%

55%

191,49453,940

605,415159,064152,296172,470291,520177,370

1,803,569

509,4301,134,543

90,66330,091

311,1537,925

2,083,805

Financial highlights

Income

Expenditure

Individuals

Institutional Grants

Legacies

Publications and other sales

Trusts, foundations and corporate

Other

Fundraising

Governance costs

Worst forms of child labour

Trafficking

Debt bondage/Bonded labour

Forced labour

Descent-based slavery

Campaigning and advocacy

Facing page: Children of former slaves in Nigerhave access to education for the first time.Photo: Anti-Slavery International

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Anti-Slavery International would like to express sincere thanks to all those who supported us. Individuals held events and raised vital fundsand awareness of our work, as well as campaigned by writing letters and emails to decision makers. The contribution of trusts, foundations,and other organisational donors, often consistently over the years, is also much appreciated. The involvement of volunteers made anenormous difference to our capacity to effectively campaign and implement programmes to end slavery. Last but not least we would like tothank all our partners working on the ground; without them we wouldn’t be able to do our work.

Thanks

Special thanks go to the following:AB Charitable TrustAllen & Overy Global FoundationBarbara Cairns TrustThe Barker Charitable TrustThe Barings FoundationBliss Family CharityThe Bromley TrustThe Bryan Guinness Charitable TrustThe CBD Charitable Trust C B and H H Taylor 1984 TrustComic Relief Eileen and Colin's TrustThe Ericson TrustThe Esmee Fairbairn FoundationThe Eva Reckitt Trust FundThe Fulmer Charitable TrustThe G C Gibson Charitable Trust Glenview TrustThe Harbour FoundationThe Hasluck Charitable TrustThe John Ellermann FoundationThe John and Susan Bowers FundThe Julius Silman Charitable TrustThe Jusaca Charitable Trust

The Kinsbourne TrustThe Lancashire FoundationThe Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust Marie Tyrwhitt TrustThe Michael and Harriet MaunsellCharitable TrustThe Oakdale TrustThe Oak Foundation Open Society Institute (OSI)The Pilkington General Charity The Rhododendron TrustThe Roger and Sarah Bancroft ClarkCharitable Trust The Rowan Charitable TrustThe Rufford Foundation Sheila & Denis Cohen Charitable TrustThe Sigrid Rausing Trust The Sir Douglas Glover's Charitable Trust The Sir James Reckitt Charity The Stella Symons Charitable TrustThe Tisbury Telegraph Trust Trust for London The Valentine Charitable TrustThe Westcroft TrustThe Wild Rose Trust

Facing page: Girls aswell as boys benefitfrom our educationproject in NepalPhoto: Anti-Slavery-International

The William Allen Young Charitable Trust The Wyndham Charitable TrustGillespie Primary SchoolHogan LovellsClifford ChanceJWTLean Mean Fighting MachineUnchosenGraham Martin and the Exeter Anti-Slavery groupJan MolKaty OrkiszPete PattissonRuth PowysThomas and Helena YoungMerelyn Rae

Our patrons: Dame Judi DenchJerry HallBaroness Helena Kennedy QCHugh QuarshieMark Shand Baroness Young of Hornsey

TrusteesPaul Whitehouse - Chair from Dec 2011 Andrew Clark - Acting Chair to Dec 2011 John Cropper - Vice Chair Graham Duncan - Treasurer Lady Lucy Chandler OBE Vanita Patel Emma Snow Esther Stanford-Xosei Ruth Powys Malcolm John Rob Grimshaw - to Oct 2011 Tracy Ulltveit-Moe David Knight - from Oct 2011 David Malcolm - from Oct 2011 Shahid Malik - from Oct 2011

Your support is needed

To donate to Anti-Slavery Internationalor join our campaigns network visit ourwebsite at

www.antislavery.orgor call 020 7501 8920

£20

£40

£150

£1,000

£11,000

could pay for 80 letters asking our campaigners to take partin an urgent action to put pressure on governments andemployers to protect domestic workers from abuse

£20,000

£500

could pay for two classrooms in Niger to have all theequipment they need for a month, including pencils, paperand books.

could pay for our work to build a strong network ofcompanies, trade unions, NGOs, investors and otherorganisations in Europe so that by working together we canstrengthen calls to end the use of forced labour in Uzbekcotton production

could pay for 20 women of slave descent in West Africa to setup income generating activities together

could pay a year’s salary for an experienced advocate inSenegal , engaging in dialogue with government policy-makers on strategies for ending forced child begging

could pay for the installation of a well in Niger, ensuring thecommunity has access to clean and safe water

could help us protect 1,500 labourers from debt bondage in100 brick kilns in India, help ensure they can access theirlegal rights and entitlements, enable female workers to earnan independent wage, and release 500 of their children fromchild labour, so that they can attend school.