THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary (Dhaka, Bangladesh) ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release March 20, 2000 FACT SHEET HELPING TO ELIMINATE CHILD LABOR AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF WORKING PEOPLE IN BANGLADESH
President Clinton today announced an assistance package of over $14 million to expand upon the progress already made by the government and the people of Bangladesh to keep children out of factories and enrolled in school. Since 1995, approximately 9,000 children have left jobs in garment factories to attend schools established by a U.S. funded project of the International Labor Organization's (ILO) International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC). This new joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Government of Bangladesh, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will remove additional children from abusive work and improve working conditions in Bangladesh. The initiative includes:
Eliminating Abusive Child Labor
- The $8.6 million in child labor
assistance that the President announced today will fund additional IPEC
projects targeted to Bangladesh children involved in exploitative or
hazardous industries.
- Approximately 30,000 children now working in
the construction, shrimp, and leather industries, on tea plantations, as
cigarette and glass bangles makers, or as domestic servants, scavengers,
transport helpers and weavers will be able to go from work to school.
-The U.S. is the world's largest contributor to IPEC, accounting for 57%
of contributions last year.
Stopping the Trafficking of Children - An unknown number of children, especially girls, are trafficked each year into exploitative work. Many end up in sexual slavery, forced labor or domestic servitude. - The President's $1.7 million regional project will enable the ILO to help prevent trafficking of children from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, while assisting in the rescue and rehabilitation of those who fall prey to traffickers.
Improving Working Conditions for Women
- Women in Bangladesh are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment
and occupational safety and
health hazards because of their concentration in the least protected
informal sectors and their lower educational and skill levels.
- Low wages, irregular payment, and lack of job security all add to the
exploitative conditions which women often face.
- The President's $3 million initiative will establish a micro-health
insurance program for approximately 3 million women in rural, informal
sector jobs who traditionally have not had access to any form of health
insurance.
-Projects also will focus on improving working conditions for women, and
by working through the ILO, increase their participation and
representation in trade unions, and enhance their skills through
training.
Raising Health and Safety Standards for Hazardous Work
- The President's$1 million initiative involves a collaboration of the
U.S. Department of Labor and relevant Bangladeshi Ministries, employers,
and worker organizations to enhance health and safety standards in
hazardous occupational sectors.
- Projects will address, among other things, the hazards posed by
chemicals, fumes, and dangerous machinery in the leather industry
and the risk of fire and other hazards faced by garment workers.
President Clinton's Budget for Child Labor and Core Labor Standards The Administration's FY 2001 budget illustrates its continuing commitment to eliminating child labor and raising core labor standards by providing: - $110 million, more than double last year's level of $45 million, to help eliminate the scourge of child labor; and - Over $40 million to promote the implementation of core labor standards and improve working conditions around the world.
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