Former Vancouver Lawyer Katrina Sriranpong Discusses Child Labour
Katrina Sriranpong is a former Vancouver lawyer specializing in immigration and refugee law. She resides with her family in Vancouver, B.C., where she devotes her time between activism and caring for her two young children. For more than 15 years, she has been an advocate for issues on child welfare, particularly for children in conflict regions.
“I have a deep interest in supporting organizations that provide assistance to refugees from war-torn countries or conflict regions,” Sriranpong said. “And, since my family is from Thailand, I have a significant interest in supporting organizations that aim to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking, especially of children for sexual exploitation and forced labour.”
Before becoming a full-time mother, Katrina Sriranpong worked as lawyer and attended the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. She also studied in England at the University of Leicester and Oxford University. After she finished school, Katrina Sriranpong spent many years helping refugees settle in Canada from conflict regions as well as victims of human trafficking. As a former lawyer, philanthropist, and busy mother, she has remained dedicated to promoting the causes she cares deeply about.
The Reality of Child Labour
In a 2021 report conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, the number of children in child labour increased to 160 million worldwide, which unfortunately equates to an increase of 8.4 million in the last four years.
According to ILO, the term “child labour” is defined as work that deprives a child of their childhood, potential and dignity, and which is harmful to physical/mental development. Child labour also involves the violation of many child rights.
This includes:
- Work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous or harmful to the child
- Interferes with the child’s education by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school, forcing them to leave school early, or requiring them to combine school with excessively long and/or physically demanding work.
There are a multitude of situations that may act as a catalyst in putting marginalized children at risk of being forced into child labour.
- Poverty: One of the major root causes of child labour is poverty. Unemployment and the need to survive may push families to make desperate and detrimental decisions. This may also come with the lack of education, as parents may not understand or see the value of their own children receiving an education over working.
- Crisis: Natural disasters or the death of one or more of their parents can force children into hazardous working environments to help provide for their families.
- Emergencies: Chronic situations like repeated drought, famine or pandemic can leave families in desperate circumstances where working to survive may seem like their only option.
- Demand: The global demand for low prices and cheap labour perpetuates the notion that they need to trap children in terrible working conditions to make a profit. As a result, children are exploited for financial gain.
- Conflict: War and government corruption can force children to abandon school and regular routines to try and earn a living for their families.
- Trafficking: Children abducted or lured into human trafficking based on their circumstances may be sold into slavery and forced into dangerous labour situations.
What are the effects of child labour?
The ways in which child labour can impact children vary depending on the industry the child is working in. Often, children are forced into terrible conditions that directly impact their mental and physical health.
- Agriculture: Children can be exposed to toxic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and may be exposed to dangerous tools. As their bodies are developing and growing, children must be protected from such toxic chemicals to avoid long term health consequences.
- Mining: Children working in mines may be exposed to poisonous chemicals, risk being killed in mine collapses, and may even be forced to work with explosives.
- Construction: In construction, children are often forced to carry heavy loads or work at dangerous heights without the proper safety equipment, causing serious injury.
- Domestic work: Children forced to provide domestic labour often face abuse are forced to work long hours, and face isolation from their support networks, including friends and family.
For obvious reasons, children exposed to long-term forced labour can have life-altering physical and mental issues. Without intervention, children trapped in forced labour not only face developmental issues but also death.
How do you stop child labour?
Katrina Sriranpong reiterates, “Tackling such a pervasive global issue can seem overwhelming, but there is something that everyone can do to contribute in the fight against child labour. Disrupting the supply chain is a crucial step in ending child labour.”
A supply chain is a system of organizations, individuals, activities, information and resources involved in getting a product or service from point A to point B (in other words, from supplier to customer).
Katrina Sriranpong explains, “We, as consumers, need to demand greater transparency with global supply chains, ensuring they are not exploiting children to produce their stock. Keeping yourself informed and choosing to buy products that are ethically-sourced and distributed disrupts the demand for cheap products relying on forced child labour. Also, participate with local or global charities and non-profit organizations dedicated to ending child labour. UNICEF, ILO, and Save the Children are just a few non-profit organizations dedicated to ending child labour.”
The “World Day Against Child Labour” is held on June 12th every year, so prepare to share information and show your support this summer. “It is my hope that by utilizing our collective desire for change, we can witness the end of child labour during our lifetime,” said Katrina Sriranpong.
