Development & Forced Labor

The International Labor Organization estimates that there are more than 12 million people around the world who are ensnared in forced labor. The ILO defines forced labour as "Work or service exacted from a person under threat or penalty, which includes penal sanctions and the loss of rights and privileges, where the person has not offered him/herself voluntarily." Different from human smuggling, forced labor involves coercion, threat, force, or deception in the recruitment, transportation and harboring of persons.

With the increasing migration toward urban areas in search of work and the ever increasing global economy, the opportunity for exploitation exists, especially for low-skilled and migrant women workers. Forced labor is a problem that constantly changes and shifts location and number of victims and therefore needs strong capacity and relationships locally, regionally and globally.