Importance Of Child Exploitation

At the age of seventeen, Min Min was promised a well paying job and a better life. He boarded a boat that was supposed to take him from Myanmar to Thailand, but did not realize until later that he had been tricked. He was sold to an Indonesian fishing boat, where he worked for three years. In addition to refusing to meet his basic needs, his owners made him work overnight and without any safety equipment. His slavers threatened him and told him that if he ever attempted escape, torture and an agonizing death would be awaiting him. Min Min was eventually able to escape and return home to his family and native country.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 1.2 million children around the world are being trafficked for economic

There are many ways we consciously and unconsciously benefit from child exploitation. First, many people from developed countries travel to poorer areas for child sex tourism. It was found that in southeast Asia, most of the tourists that went to child brothels were from countries like Japan, America, and South Korea. Second, we buy products that are made by child laborers on a daily basis. It is important that we research and think about where the things we buy come from. Companies like Nike, Godiva, and Hershey have all been exposed and linked to child labor scandals. When we consume food and clothing from companies that use child labor, we have the blood of young children on our hands. Finally, we must expose corruption in companies, governments, and law enforcement agencies. How can we ever hope for child labor to stop if those that are supposed to enforce the law are breaking it? By bringing to light the problems in our society and government, we can help emancipate children from exploitation. Clearly, child exploitation is a difficult problem to fix. However, the children of today are responsible for the future of society. How can we hope to have a bright future if those who will build it are being exploited? Children should not be forced to harvest crops; they should be harvesting the fruits of knowledge. Children should not be forced to sell their bodies; they should be strengthening their minds. Children should not be fishermen; children should be children. Let’s speak up for those who do not have the voice to speak up for