Bonded labor, also known as debt bondage or debt slavery, is a form of modern slavery where a person’s labor is exploited to repay a debt to a creditor. The conditions of repayments are often unclear, which can tie whole families into bonded labor, sometimes for generations, without any control over their debt. Cotton farming is strongly linked to debt bondage because the high input costs, failed crops and delayed or refused payments can force farmers to take out multiple loans. Without access to more formal financial support, the loans are often provided by rogue money lenders. As a result, accruing debt and unaffordable interest rates can lead to debt bondage for farmers’ children. Bonded labor is especially widespread in South Asian countries, including Pakistan and India, but various forms of bonded labor are reported worldwide.
BONDED LABOR
