Researchers Document Forced, Child Labor in Commonwealth Games Construction

Human trafficking researcher and Harvard Fellow Siddarth Kara has documented 36 cases of forced and/or child labor in the construction of Commonwealth Games stadiums in just the last few days. And that may be only a tiny portion of the labor abuses committed in the name of the event. Chief Minister for New Delhi Sheila Dixit claims she was unaware of the child labor problems in her country. Let's make sure the Commonwealth Games Federation is aware so they can stop using children to construct their stadiums.

Kara documented children ages seven, eight, nine, and ten working alongside their families to construct buildings and common areas for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. The games, which are sort of like the Olympics for former member countries of the British empire, are just a couple weeks away and construction is still not complete. Sadly, Indian children have been picking up the slack, and they have been documented using hammers, bagging stones, and paving streets for hours at a time. The lack of basic sanitation at the one work site is so severe, human excrement was recently found in the athletes' unfinished dormitories. Kara sat outside in the hot sun for hours with the children, documenting their work day to be sure they weren't just playing with hammers while their parents toiled. And sure enough, the little ones were working on the construction sites just like their parents, despite the fact that 42 people have already been killed at the dangerous work sites.

In response to the allegations, Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister for New Delhi, claimed she didn't know child labor and forced labor were being used to construct Commonwealth Games stadiums, and she wished Kara had told her about his findings when he first began to investigate child labor, back in July. Kara claims he tried to contact several people in the Indian government about his findings but got no response. However the Indian government aren't the only people who can stop the use of child labor in the construction of the stadiums; the Commonwealth Games Federation thus far failed to step in and stop the use of child labor. Make sure the Commonwealth Games Federation knows that child labor in construction is unacceptable.

Athletes from around the world will begin arriving in India for the games today. And while much of the international focus has been on safety, sanitation, and the "standards" Western athletes are used to, countries sending athletes should also consider whether they are supporting the use of child labor by staying and playing without protest. As long as international associations like the Commonwealth Games Federation allow work sites to use child labor without penalty, labor abuses against children in India will continue to thrive.

Photo credit: desheboard