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| South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude | |
|---|---|
| Name | South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude |
| Founded | 1990s |
| Founder | Activists, lawyers, social workers |
| Type | Regional non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | South Asia |
| Region served | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |
| Focus | Child rights, anti-child labour, human trafficking, bonded labour |
| Methods | Advocacy, litigation support, research, capacity building |
South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude is a regional network formed to combat bonded labour, child labour, child trafficking and servitude across South Asia. The coalition brought together activists, lawyers, social workers and policymakers to coordinate litigation, research and advocacy linked to international instruments and national laws. It worked alongside intergovernmental bodies, regional courts and civil society groups to advance child rights and rescue efforts.
The coalition emerged during the 1990s in response to growing transnational attention from entities such as International Labour Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and regional bodies including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Founders drew inspiration from landmark cases and movements like the Abolitionist movement, campaigns by Save the Children, and litigation strategies seen in the Supreme Court of India and Supreme Court of Pakistan. Early convenings included representatives from Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association, Nepalese Human Rights Commission, Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, and advocacy groups from Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. The coalition responded to treaties and instruments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, and the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons. It collaborated with academic institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Colombo, Tribhuvan University, University of Karachi, and think tanks including Centre for Policy Research and Observer Research Foundation. Major influences included litigators and activists associated with Aruna Roy, Medha Patkar, Anuradha Koirala, and organizations such as Prayas, Apne Aap Women Worldwide, Bandhua Mukti Morcha, and BLAST.
The coalition’s stated mission aligned with instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and regional commitments of SAARC. Objectives included promoting enforcement of statutes such as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (national variants), challenging practices akin to bonded labour in courts including the Supreme Court of India and Supreme Court of Nepal, and supporting prosecution under laws inspired by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act framework. It prioritized strengthening mechanisms at institutions like the National Human Rights Commission (India), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (India), Bangladesh Labour Law, and provincial commissions in Pakistan. The coalition sought to influence policy debates in forums such as the International Criminal Court discussions on forced labour, sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, and regional SAARC meetings.
Programs combined litigation support, field rescue operations, documentation and rehabilitation initiatives with capacity building and public information campaigns. Legal aid projects connected to organizations such as Human Rights Law Network, Legal Aid Services, People's Union for Civil Liberties and Aajeevika Bureau provided casework templates and amicus briefs for courts including the High Court of Delhi, Bombay High Court, Lahore High Court, and Kathmandu District Court. Research collaborations involved universities like University of Dhaka, Colombo University, University of Malaya (regional partners), and NGOs such as CARE, Oxfam, World Vision, and Plan International. Rescue and aftercare operations partnered with child protection agencies including UNICEF, IOM, International Organization for Migration, Save the Children, and national shelters recognized by ministries of Social Welfare in affected states. Public campaigns invoked media collaborations with outlets like BBC South Asia, Al Jazeera, The Hindu, Dawn, and The Times of India to spotlight cases and legislative gaps. Training seminars targeted stakeholders from police academies in Lahore and Kolkata, magistrates connected to Juvenile Justice Boards, and social workers trained under programs similar to UNICEF Child Protection. Monitoring initiatives used indicators promoted by ILO and reports submitted to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The coalition functioned as a loose federation of national chapters, legal networks, academic partners and grassroots groups. Membership included NGOs such as Bandhua Mukti Morcha, National Domestic Workers Movement, Karmayog, Child Rights and You, and regional networks in Bangladesh and Nepal. Governance structures mirrored models used by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International with steering committees composed of lawyers, activists and former judges from institutions like the Supreme Court of India and commissions such as the National Human Rights Commission (India). Secretariat functions rotated among host organizations in capitals including New Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, and Colombo. Funding channels involved foundations and donors including Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Save the Children UK, European Commission grants, and bilateral aid from agencies such as DFID and USAID, alongside membership contributions from groups like Pratham.
The coalition developed strategic partnerships with intergovernmental entities like ILO, UNICEF, UNODC, IOM and regional mechanisms such as SAARC Secretariat. It coordinated advocacy campaigns with global coalitions including Global March Against Child Labour, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT), and legal networks like International Bar Association rule-of-law programs. Advocacy targeted national legislatures, state assemblies in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and Sindh, and international forums including UN General Assembly side events and World Conference on Human Rights follow-ups. Strategic litigation drew on precedents from judgments by the Supreme Court of India, rulings referenced in ILO case law, and comparative jurisprudence from South Africa and Brazil human rights courts.
The coalition influenced high-profile rescues, contributed to litigation that shaped jurisprudence in courts such as the Supreme Court of India and High Court of Madras, and informed national policy revisions in countries including Bangladesh and Nepal. Reports cited by ILO and UNICEF referenced coalition data in assessing reductions in certain forms of child servitude. Critics argued the coalition’s loose federal model led to coordination challenges similar to critiques of international NGOs and raised concerns about donor dependence tied to entities like Ford Foundation and USAID. Some governments and employers associations, including chambers modeled on Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, contested certain advocacy tactics as disruptive to informal labour markets referenced in regional studies by World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Academic critiques from scholars at Jawaharlal Nehru University and SOAS University of London called for stronger empirical methodologies, while policy analysts from Observer Research Foundation and Centre for Policy Research emphasized sustainability and local ownership.
Category:Child labour organizations