Welcome to the Slavery Research Bulletin, the Freedom Fund’s monthly brief designed to bring you new & compelling research from the global anti-slavery movement.

Protections for workers impacted by covid-19

Walk Free provides essential actions for governments and businesses to take in order to protect informal workers from covid-19 related risks of exploitation. Recommendations include repatriation of vulnerable workers abroad, work visa extensions and amnesties for migrant workers, as well as facilitation of health care access.

Effects of order cancellations in Bangladesh’s garment industry

Penn State surveyed over 300 garment suppliers in Bangladesh on the effects of covid-19 and its economic costs on the treatment of workers. Eighty percent of workers were left without severance pay after brands reneged on their legal responsibility to contribute to severance funds, following a cancellation of orders.

Creating migrant inclusive policies in urban centres in India

A report from Aajeevika Bureau addresses the exclusion of domestic migrant workers in India from urban planning and policy, leading to heightened vulnerabilities during the covid-19 lockdown. The study interviewed 285 migrant workers in Ahmedabad and Surat, focusing on issues of housing, water and health. Recommendations include regular monitoring of employer provided housing facilities, migrant inclusive public healthcare and creation of public sanitation facilities.

Technology’s contributions to anti-trafficking

The newest issue of Anti-Trafficking Review focuses on the role of technology in anti-trafficking. Articles include addressing how technology can uplift worker voices in supply chains, apps that support ethical consumption and digital evidence in human trafficking investigations.

Understanding reductions in commercial sexual exploitation of children in Nepal

An evaluation of the Freedom Fund’s work in Nepal to reduce the use of minors in the adult entertainment sector. Using process tracing methods and interviews with key government and civil society stakeholders, 78 percent of respondents observed a reduction in minors working in adult venues, and 60 percent attributed this decrease to increased inspections of venues and legal reform.

Read on…

• Preliminary findings from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on covid-19 and identifying human trafficking victims.
• A brief from the United Nations Population Fund on how covid-19 could undermine progress towards ending gender based violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation and disrupt family planning.
• Guidance from Anti-Slavery International on how to ensure covid-19 responses reach those most vulnerable to modern slavery.

And finally…

The Freedom Fund has released our 2019 Annual Impact Report. Read on to learn more about our research projects, as well as our covid-19 emergency response fund.

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News & updates For more news and updates about the Freedom Fund, visit our Newsroom. You can also view archived issues of our bulletin here.