麻豆传媒

Skip to main content

Child labour remains an increasing source of Canada鈥檚 everyday products: NGO

In this Thursday, June 2, 2016 photo, Ali, 10, a Syrian refugee child from Aleppo, who cannot hear and speak, works at a clothing workshop in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey. According to the United Nation鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Fund, or UNICEF, more than half of Turkey鈥檚 2.7 million Syrian refugees are children. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) In this Thursday, June 2, 2016 photo, Ali, 10, a Syrian refugee child from Aleppo, who cannot hear and speak, works at a clothing workshop in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey. According to the United Nation鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Fund, or UNICEF, more than half of Turkey鈥檚 2.7 million Syrian refugees are children. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Share

Many Canadians remain unaware of the involvement of forced child labour in the products they buy, World Vision Canada (WVC), a non-profit agency, says.

Child labour saw its first increase in two decades in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 79 million children were involved in forced labour as of 2022, the International Labour Organization estimates.

In early June, the government addressed the issue of forced child labour in business supply chains and expressed support for Bill S-211, which would mandate Canadian firms and government departments to scrutinize supply chains with the aim of protecting workers.

鈥淲e're finally starting to see some movement,鈥 Katherine Dibbon, a youth leader with World Vision Canada, told CTV鈥檚 News Channel on Saturday.

鈥淧ut forward by Senator (Julie) Miville-Dechene, (the bill) is looking at protecting the rights of children and giving the information to consumers in Canada.鈥

Dibbon says that while most Canadians can鈥檛 do much to stop child labour from the ground up, it is likely that many consumers will do their part by avoiding buying from certain companies once legislation forces them to be transparent about their workers.

Almost 160,000 Canadians have signed World Vision Canada's urging the government to mandate businesses to prevent human rights violations throughout their operations and publicly report on their progress.

In 2020, the Canadian government prohibited the importation of goods produced by forced labour under the customs tariff.

The new law is expected to require Canadian companies and federal departments to report each year on measures taken to prevent and reduce the risk that forced labour or child labour is used by them or in their supply chains.

"We're encouraged by recent progress by the Government of Canada to move key legislation forward to help address this issue,鈥 Michael Messenger, president and CEO of World Vision Canada, said in a release.

"With child labour on the rise for the first time in 20 years due to the global pandemic and other factors, Canada's child labour problem will continue to grow without bold action to address it. Canadians need to be able to make fully informed purchasing decisions."

With files from Canadian Press

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected