The ILO’s Forced Labor Convention defines forced labor as “All work or service exacted from a person under the threat of a penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily.”

Forced labor can include, but is not limited to:

• Domestic work

• Agriculture labor

• Construction

• Illicit activities

Forced labor is the most prevalent form of human trafficking worldwide; men, women, and children are forced to perform different acts of service and it can be imposed by state authorities, private enterprises, and/ or individuals. Traffickers get victims under their control through force, fraud, or coercion. Victims lack the choice of work and have no option but to work under such conditions.

Forced labor can include, but is not limited to, domestic servitude, involvement in illegal activities, and manufacturing. The victims get little to no pay and often live in horrific conditions. According to the ILO, there are around 24.9 million victims of forced labor, making over 150 billion dollars of profit annually.

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs maintains a list of goods that could possibly be produced by forced labor and their source countries. The list comprises 156 goods from 77 countries as of June 23, 2021. Read the full report here. This report shows a big percentage of the food products and consumer goods imported to western countries have been produced by human trafficking victims.

Forced labor is often present in some parts of the supply chain for consumer goods, such as nutrition or clothing.

We have the responsibility to do something about it. To do something about it, go to this page.