Welcome to the Slavery Research Bulletin, the Freedom Fund’s monthly brief designed to bring you new and compelling research from the global anti-slavery movement.
Australian companies fail to comply with Modern Slavery Act
A multi-year research project led by The Human Rights Law Centre assesses 92 company statements made under Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, including companies sourcing garments from China, gloves from Malaysia, agricultural goods from Australia and seafood from Thailand. The assessment revealed that two in three (66 percent) of companies were not meeting the legal reporting requirements, and nearly half (43 percent) of the companies failed to recognise high modern slavery risks in their supply chain.
First global survey depicting experiences of violence and harassment at work
The International Labour Organization releases its first-ever global survey report on violence and harassment at work. Drawing on over 74,000 survey responses from employees across 121 countries, it finds that more than one in five (23 percent, or 743 million) workers globally experience violence and harassment. Young women were twice as likely as young men to have experienced sexual violence and harassment, especially among migrant women.
Difficulties in accessing justice for gender-based violence in complex settings
The International Development Law Organization, in collaboration with the Global Women’s Institute, discusses challenges faced by gender-based violence (GBV) victims in accessing justice in the contexts of emergencies, conflicts, disasters, and organised crime, based on six country case studies. Drawing on desk research and inputs from 116 experts and focus group participants, the report revealed that the lack of GBV data systems and the use of unstandardised mediation cause a repetitive cycle of violence against women.
Evidence on preventing violence against children online
Research published by the World Health Organization examines the effect of prevention education in decreasing violence against children online. Based on a systematic review of 18 reports and a meta-analysis of youth-focus prevention programs targeted directly at online violence, the study found that resistance to peer pressure and assertiveness are considered a core component present in nearly 80 percent of evidence-based programs. Other components of effective programs include problem-solving skills, bystander or defender mobilisation and substance abuse education.
Alleged violations of the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
The Human Trafficking Legal Center publishes a briefing paper on federal civil litigation cases brought to federal courts in 2021 alleging violations of the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. Figures in the briefing show that most plaintiffs are from, in descending order, the United States, Philippines, Mexico, and India. Notably, cases involving allegations of sex trafficking were dominant with 41 out of 76 criminal and civil trafficking cases, followed by 37 cases involving allegations of forced labour.
Read on
- Research by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that temporary protection status granted to people fleeing Ukraine contributed to their resilience against trafficking and other abuses.
- European Institute for Gender Equality publishes a new report that underlines the urgent need of conceptual definition for cyber violence against women and girls.
- Study led by The State University of New York reveals the knowledge gap among social workers in rural Ethiopia that affects integrated social protection program.
And finally
Amy Rahe, our Managing Director for External Relations, teamed with the Red Sand Project to examine the intersection of modern slavery, climate change and other pressing issues. Watch the first video here.
News & updates
For more news and updates about the Freedom Fund, visit our Newsroom. You can also view archived issues of our bulletin here.
Photo credit: Jittrapon Kaicome / The Freedom Fund
