We spoke Up!

Hi my name is Lilibeth Masamloc, from the Philippines. I am a former Child Domestic Worker, I started working at the age of 13. Now, a leader of SUMAPI, a national association of domestic workers in the Philippines which works to uphold the rights and dignity of domestic workers, especially children in domestic work.

In behalf of my colleagues here, we are very much grateful and thankful to all the supports. It was gave us couraged and inspired us to move forward and to Stand as a voice of our fellows child domestic workers around the world.

Just to share with you our first day experienced in the ILC. It was my pleasure having a chance to witnessed the Plenary session and saw the conference hall. After which I had attended Workers' committee briefing where the Chairperson encourage the workers' representative to give their feedbacks on the blue report.

Of course, the very exciting part was when we SPOKE UP during the side event organized by the Anti-Slavery International and partners. All of us were given a chance to discussed the specific issue as well as give solutions to the problems. Because of my experiences in lobbying and being active in the association, I was able to discussed the monitoring mechanism in the Philippines, and how it can create an impact to the lives of child domestic workers around the world. I challenged them that "if the Philippines done to this, then they can do it as well"

We are very excited to attend tomorrow and other session, and we hope to lobby individual representative to support the issue of child domestic worker and to STAND WITH US!

Children's champions

hello my name is Inela and I am a student at European Institute of University of Geneva;
 I am extremely happy to meet those childrens, who are Champios not only about their courage and their amazing job, but they are Champions also in our heart.
I wish them all the best and a very good luck for today :)

Just like a dream

Hello I am called Angel, I am from Tanzania, I am a representative of child domestic workers at the ILO conference in Geneva.  My trip was very fantastic it was like a dream because I never thought I would come here to meet with the people from Anti-Slavery and Children Unite and my fellows from different countries - the Phlippines and Costa Rica.  And just to the see the ILO and meet ILO members. As the time goes I become more comfortable with the care and treatment I'm getting from my team members and colleagues.  Today was very good because I met with the people from Oak Foundation and I have only seen their names on my visa papers!!  I'm a bit worried about tomorrow because I'm going to meet the official members in high positions.  But I believe that I will be able to express the opinion of child domestic workers, I will be understood and they will take action on our recommendations and our opinions.

I think God will help us and we will be able to make it.

Thanks

Angel

My trip to Geneva

Hello I am called Angelina Joseph, I am 17 years old, I am from Tanzania.  I am very happy with the journey here what makes me happy is just to fly because I have never been on a flight and this is my first time.  We are very happy to see different kinds of people, this is my first time as well. I have enjoyed the food and the drinks which was served on the flight by the hostess. I was very afraid when I walked on the escalator for the first time - I jumped on it!!

I am even surprised by the buses in Geneva we don't have them in Tanzania.  I am feeling good about tomorrow's event. Tomorrow is my chance to talk about child domestic workers - I'm not afraid.  I have been enjoying this evening meal the type of food I had today is very nice it's the same as the type of food I have in my country (spaghetti and pork).

Children's champions arrive in Geneva today

We are calling the children and young people who have come to lobby the ILO 'Children's Champions' because they will be championing the views of over 250 children around the world at the ILO's conference this year.

They have been chosen by their colleagues and peers to take on the role of 'champion' and have all taken part in consultations where child domestic workers voiced their views about the forthcoming ILO convention on domestic work.  All the children's champions are currently working as a child domestic worker  or are former child domestic workers so they will be speaking from personal experience when they star to lobby ILO delegates on Wednesday.

Today they are arriving, tired from long journeys but happy that they're here (in Tanzania they said they were convinced they would not get the visa).  Tonight we will have all welcome meal and get to know each other a little more.

For me, it is wonderful to meet these young women after having only had a name on a form and a date of birth for 3 months.  Unfortunately, I can't introduce you to them yet (I need to get their consent to use their real names!!)...but from now on I hope that some of the posts on this blog with be from these five young women.  Look out for their names!!

Signing off for now....Helen, UK

Global March behind child domestic workers and the ILO convention

The Global March has issued a statement calling for adoption of new Convention and Recommendation. Like us, Global March support article 4 and paragraph 4 which will be discussed in just a few days during the ILC.

Global March against Child Labour is a movement to mobilise worldwide efforts to protect and promote the rights of all children, especially the right to receive a free, meaningful education and to be free from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be harmful to the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development."

The Global March Movement began with a worldwide march when thousands of people marched together to jointly put forth the message against child labour. The march culminated at the ILO Conference in Geneva where the voice of the marchers was heard and reflected in the draft of the ILO Convention against the worst forms of child labour. The following year, the Convention was unanimously adopted at the ILO Conference in Geneva.

SIDE EVENT ON JUNE 1st

Our five 'children's champions' (former and current child domestic workers) will be speaking at a side event at the during the ILC: 

The event will take place on:

      WEDNESDAY 1st JUNE
        UN PALAIS DES NATIONS

      ROOM XXII
        13:00 - 15:00

Title: Protecting Young Domestic Workers from Abuse and Exploitation

The event is a panel discussion on the occasion of the 17th Session of the Human Rights Council entitled

The event is hosted by the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica and the Permanent Mission of Uruguay as well as Anti-Slavery International and Children Unite. It is being organised to raise-awareness about child domestic servitude and to discuss the role of human rights as a means of protecting them.

This event coincides with the 100th International Labour Conference, at which a proposed Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers will be discussed. The draft offered for discussion includes two provisions specifically relevant to child domestic workers.

The event aims to raise awareness about the situation of child domestic workers. It will provide an opportunity to discuss how the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights standards and mechanisms can be used to address this crucial issue, and how grassroots efforts can be supported by the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. 

In addition to leading international experts, the event will include testimonies from former child domestic workers who have escaped exploitation and are now advocating for their rights.

PROGRAM 

Chair: H.E.M. Christian Guillermet-Fernández Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office at Geneva

Speakers: Mr Hatem Kotrane, Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Voices of child domestic workers: Former child domestic workers from Costa Rica, the Philippines and Tanzania

Ms Myrtle Witbooi: Chair of the International Domestic Workers’ Network (IDWN)

For more information please contact Ms Melanie Clerc at slaveryfund@ohchr.org or Ms Audrey Guichon at a.guichon@antislavery.org

views from children on the new ILO convention

A report outlining the views of 250 child domestic workers from from seven countries outlines how the current ILO Convention and Recommendation on Decent Work for Domestic Workers should protect them.

Young domestic workers are asking delegates at the ILC to support the adoption of article and paragraph 4 of the Convention and Recommendation on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.  The report, in French, Spanish and English details why these two provisions should be supported by ILO delegates and implemented at national level following the ratification. 

To read the report please see the page 'ILC report 2011'

Le projet Giving Voice

Le projet Giving Voice se deroule aujourd'hui en coulisses, alors que Audrey, Helen et moi (Christine) preparons notre arrivee, ainsi que celles des enfants domestiques et leurs accompagnatrices, a Geneve. Le rapport refletant les demandes globales des enfants est enfin pret, en anglais, francais et espagnol. Quelques questions logistiques sont encore a resoudre, les itineraires de chacun en provenance de Manille, San Jose et Dar-es-Salaam sont aussi a finaliser, mais nous ne nous laissons pas abattre et attendons avec impatience le moment ou tous nos efforts conjoints culmineront a Geneve, a partir du 30 mai.
Les enfants seront en ligne chaque jour pour recevoir vos messages de soutien, vos commentaires et questions.
Joignez vous a nous... a bientot! Christine

Child domestic workers at the ILC in 2011

The first post for almost a year but it is good news...Anti-Slavery International and Children Unite will be bringing six child domestic workers from Tanzania, Costa Rica and the Philippines to the ILC again to lobby ILC delegates on the ILO's proposed convention on decent work for domestic workers.

We are currently organising passports and visas for the six children - who were selected by our partner organisations.  We are also writing a global report from consultations on the new convention that have been held in seven countries with child domestic workers ...watch this space....we will post it online as soon as it is ready.

Watch us on TV

Although this was on Swiss TV last week - we've only just had time to add it to our blog...the report is in French.

Click here to watch

Celebrating World Day Against Child Labour

Friday 11th June is World Day Against Child Labour - it was a day that we were going to spend evaluating our time here in Geneva.  We looked at the two events that we spoke at - the public event organised by Human Rights Watch on 8th June and the 'side' event that we organised at the ILO on 9th June.

We also wanted to learn from our time lobbying - what happened when it went well and what happened when it didn't.  In particular, what advice would children's champions give to others if they were to lobby.

But during our evaluation workshop we had a call from IPEC with an invitation to speak at the Child Labour Day celebrations in the Place des Nations in front of hundreds of Swiss children.   Foulera and Komi spoke alongside the Director of IPEC (the ILO's International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour) about their lives as child domestic workers and why they were in Geneva.  Children asked them questions about their lives and the whole thing was reported quite widely by the Swiss press.

This was a day for reflection and celebration.  After celebrating Child Labour Day we thanked each other for our contributions to a successful trip.  The success was down to the hard work of the whole team, which included 13 of us!!  So, as well as the children's champions, we need to thank the following people:

Rosela Millones: Guardian for Evelyn & Fiama who competently and lovingly guided and empowered the Peruvian girls to take on some enourmous challenges.

Denise Hubado: Guardian for Fouler and Komi whose courage and strength supported the Togolese team to be brave themselves and to become excellent spokespeople for child domestic workers.

Sister Nisha: Guardian for the Indian champion, Sujatha whose loving support enabled Sujatha to find her voice and to speak with passion for the sake of other child domestic workers.

Marie Froysa Hole - who, in between exams for her studies in Geneva,  produced the welcome pack for champions, found the hotel, helped analyse the legal arguments, lobbied, translated and was a complete superstar volunteer!!

Mariela Gonzalez (Anti-Slavery International) - who lobbied, translated, organised - all with a huge amount of passion, energy and humour.  Mariela has been the glue of the group - binding us together. 

Audrey Guichon (Anti-Slavery International) - who facilitated, translated, lobbied furiously and negotiated...she was an excellent spokesperson for child domestic workers, answered difficult questions about the issue and always, always gave opportunities to the children's champions to speak themselves.

Jonathan Blabrough (Children Unite) - who was our 'rock'.  His calm and caring confidence, coupled with his deep understanding of the issue and knowledge of the ILO processes supported us throughout. 

And, because it feels too wierd to thank myself, I just want to say that I couldn't have been more proud of being part of this amazing team.  

Helen Veitch (Children Unite).

To see photos of this event please follow this ILO link.

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Third and last day at the ILC

Our last day was spent deep in lobbying - we spoke to government and worker representatives from many different countries as they were leaving or entering the plenary meetings. This is the most intense kind of work where children's champions had to get their messages across in just four minutes to delegates. It was hard work.

Overall the reaction was very positive to the young people - the delegates were supportive - many of them showed their support by filling in postcards with our recommendations or taking our information packs. They were often quite shocked when the champions told them how young they had been when they started working (aged 7, 9, 13).

In the evening Fiama spoke at a public rally - just in front of the UN - that was organised by domestic worker's groups from across the world. Fiama spoke beautifully - her speach was clear and strong and she made us proud. Thank you Fiama.

Also, thank you Evelyn, Komi, Sujatha and Foulera - everyone gave it their all for our last day at the ILC.

Second day at the ILC

On our second day we held a side event where we launched our 'stand with us' film and the Children's Champions spoke about their experiences as child domestic workers and why the four recommendations we are lobbying for are important to them.

The event was chaired by Jo Becker from Human Rights Watch. Joost Kooijmans from the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) spoke about the legal framework of the ILO and was very supportive of the need for special protection for young domestic workers and said that this convention was important because it will ensure that domestic workers will be treated like other workers. He announced that IPEC will be publishing global estimates on the numbers of child domestic workers later this year. Florencia Kabatingan, the Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines spoke of the importance of protecting domestic workers and their fundamental freedoms and rights. Florencia reiterated the support from workers and unions for child domestic workers.

The event was very well attended - particularly by government representatives from the ILO. In a group of young people attended who are at the Human Rights Council in a similar position to our children's champions but talking about juvenile justice.

I didn't want to stop talking...

For the first time I have come out of Bangalore and I am coming to a meeting as big as this and I like it. I like the 4 recommendations we are asking for - in particular I think that children should go to school not to work. I think that children should not keep silent, they should talk about their life as domestic workers. I have come to know that there are so many other children from other countries also working as domestic workers and suffering from various issues. I got a chance to speak yesterday at a side meeting at the UN, it was good that this event was organised and I didn't want to stop talking. I have not had the chance to study like the children that I work with in Gowpyatha Makkla Kendra (a rehabilitation centre in Bangalore that works children rescued from child labour) so I have not had this kind of opportunity before.

I thought I would be lonely here but there is always someone with me to speak Kannada and to explain. I am happy to help the children back home by speaking here.

Sujatha

Children's Champions at the United Nations Palais des Nations, today:

Back row: Sujatha, Komi & Foulera

Front row: Fiama & Evelyn

la voix des enfants

Nous sommes venus a la reunion du BIT pour parler de nos recomendations et nous sommes passes a la tele. Ils nous on filme, ils nous ont pose des questions. Ils etaient deux hommes, un pour nous poser les questions, un pour nous filmer. Il nous a fait jouer les scenes, monter les escaliers, dotnner des invitations, parler aux gens a la cafeteria de notre recommendation.

Apres, nous sommes partis dans une salle pour qu'il nous pose des questions et que nous repondions. Foulera est allee en premier, ils lui ont pose des questions, elle a bien repondu. Apres j'y suis alle, ils m'ont pose des questions sur les recommendations et je leur ai explique les 4 recommendations: par rapport a l'age, par rapport au contrat, par rapport aux abus, et la quatrieme, par rapport a la visibilite. Je me suis senti a l'aise et j'ai bien repondu aux questions.

J'aimerais me regarder la television pour voir commetn j'ai parle. Le necessaire c'est que les autorites du BIT tiennent compte de notre recommendations et les introduisent dans la convention du droit des travailleurs domestiques.

La television s'appelle TSR et ca va passer aussi sur TV5.

komi tokpa

Dias Maravillosos

Estoy en Ginebra desde hace cuatro dias y me han pasado muchas cosas nuevas interesantes y lindas. Conoci a mis amigos de Togo e India que son Trabajadores infantiles domesticos como yo y todos me caen realmente bien.

Me siento tan contenta y de alguna manera LIBRE de haber podido expresar mis experiencias, sentimientos y deseos a las personas de la OIT, es algo increible nunca imagine estar aqui con estas personas importantes para ayudar a ninos como yo, es algo muy encantador , es lo mejor que me a podido pasar!!! Ojala otros ninos puedan experimentar lo que yo estoy pasando y puedan sentir la misma felicidad que estoy sintiendo.

Creo que soy muy afortunada de estar en un pais encantador, con mis amigos y ayudando a ninos como yo es ... Woww!!

Yo creo que este es solo el comienzo de algo grande para todos y estoy segura que seremos grandes personas que seguiremos apoyando a los ninos del mundo porque desde ahora ya somos grandes personas.

First day at the ILC

Yesterday was our first day at the International Labour Conference. The conference is held at the United Nations in Geneva – at the Palais des Nations – a suitably enormous, complex and awe-inspiring building. We are basing ourselves in the Serpentine Café next to the committee room where members of the ILO are debating the proposed convention on domestic work.

So, the Children’s Champions were able to observe the ILO in discussion in a sectioned off part of the committee room that is for NGOs. As NGOs are not allowed to speak during the discussions, the Children’s Champions had to grab delegates as they were entering or leaving the committee room and snatch a three minute conversation with them.

At lunch, the Togolese Champions were interviewed by Swiss TV and will be on the lunchtime news today.

In the evening the whole team attended an event organised by Human Rights Watch for the Genevan public. Although it was a very formal event, and all of us speaking were quite nervous the Champions spoke inspiringly about their lives as child domestic workers and answered some quite difficult questions from the audience.