WASHINGTON – At 13, Sonia Pierre began her stand for workers’ rights in the Dominican Republic, leading a march to demand humane working conditions for sugar cane harvesters in the “batey” – the worker settlement in which she grew up. From the single-room, dirt-floor barrack she shared with 12 siblings and her mother, Pierre’s journey took her to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, where her powerful testimony helped lead to a landmark decision protecting children whose lack of legal status in their country of birth left them vulnerable to exploitation. The

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs awarded a $7 million cooperative agreement to reduce child labor in targeted agricultural communities in Mexico. The four-year project, Campos de Esperanza, will be implemented by World Vision and will aid children engaged in or at high risk of entering child labor and their families by increasing their participation in education, training, and social protection programs. In addition, awareness will be raised among stakeholders to increase the promotion and protection of labor rights, specifically related to child labor an

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs awarded a $4 million project to the International Labor Organization to address child labor in the vanilla-growing areas of Madagascar. The project will provide livelihood services to households whose children are engaged in or at high risk of entering child labor in the Sava region. The project will also work with vanilla stakeholders to implement the recently-signed vanilla exporters’ code of conduct to eliminate child labor in the vanilla sector and build the capacity of labor law enforcement officials to enfo

Opportunity Title: Global Project to Promote Private Sector Investment in Workplace-Based Training Programs for Vulnerable Youth Amount approved/awarded: $1,400,000 Funding awarded to: Global Apprenticeships Network Purpose: To strengthen country-level business networks in support of apprenticeships for vulnerable youth Background: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs has awarded a $1.4 mill

WASHINGTON – ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Miguel Hernandez is 12 years old and already an experienced miner. Instead of going to school, he has worked for years –11 hours a day – extracting precious gems in the mines of Bolivia. Across the ocean, Salay Ry has spent years laying bricks in Cambodia to help repay a family debt. At 13 years old, his education takes a back seat to his family’s subsistence. These stories of child exploitation are far too common, and two reports released today seek to bring greater awareness and attention to the problem. [[{"fid":"55