Slavery alive and well..

In India, the federal police say that over a million children may be involved in prostitution.

Quote from a judge in Honduras.. "If the child-prostitute is older than 12, and does not file a complaint and if the parents clearly profit from their child's commerce, we tend to look the other way" (Wikipedia)
Today the United States State Department estimates that over 50,000 women and girls are trafficked each year in the United States.

With over 50 million females "missing" from the census statistics in Asia (resulting from decades of the horrific practice of female infanticide) the un-fill-able demand for wives is resulting in millions of female abductions across Asian borders! Girls from 12 to 25 years old are simply snatched off the streets - never to be seen again.

Sweat Shops..

Articles by the American PBS network list many 'sweat shops' that enslave desperate women workers..
The terrible conditions in these factories will be judged by history as "Crimes against humanity"..

Many of these factories are located in provinces where there are no government regulations. They are exclusively funded by companies like Wal-mart and Niki but are privately owned. That frees these multi-nationals from any legal responsibility for the horrific conditions within.

PBS lists the conditions at the "Liang Shi Handbag Factory" as follows..
Products - Wal-Mart handbags;  Wages - 15 cents / hour;  Ten hour shifts - 6 days per week;  Acomodation, 10 to a room.
With most of these factories.. There are no fire exits; Exits are locked to prevent theft. Workers are body searched before going to the toilet (and only allowed two such breaks a day)

This factory is not unique.. Looking down the Google lists of 'sweat shops', the conditions and wages are all similar.
The practice should be illegal - but it's not..
As Wal-Mart correctly points out in its statement on "Sweat Shops"..
Quote..
"Wal-Mart strives to do business only with factories run legally and ethically." (Those conditions are NOT illegal in those provinces - they are illegal in other areas of China.) "We require suppliers to ensure that every factory conforms to local workplace laws and that there is no illegal child labor or forced labor." (end of quotes) (Again "Local workplace laws" are non-existant in those areas.  "No Child labour" is also true - No child could possibly sew at that pace for ten hours every day!
And, the workers are "not forced", they are free to leave (and starve)

The 'sweat shop' workers may be free to leave - but the reality of their plight is not that simple..
Every year in China, millions of hopeful workers are turned away from factories in the regulated northern provinces.. At this point, they are almost broke. They have two choices, get a ticket back home to their village, or believe the billboards proclaiming "Workers needed in the southern provinces - good conditions - [$20] per week." When they get there, the $20 positions "are all gone" - there are only $9 positions left. They now have no way to get home - and they discover that their 'board and food' levy is also $9 per week! - But, they are promised that "if they work really fast, they will eventually earn more!"
Free to Leave??

Recently, the 'Governor' of one of these provinces pleaded with WalMart to pay their workers more. He wanted a five cent increase (to 25 cents / hr.). WalMart threatened to pull out of his province and relocate to another (un-regulated) province.. Essentially, he had to back down because the loss of WalMart would make him a target of the powerful ruthless thugs who own and profit from these factories.