Reports

What we learned in our first programs in Vietnam

Between 2018-2020, GFEMS funded research and advocacy efforts focused on labor migration from Vietnam. These efforts were carried out in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the Responsible Business Alliance. This briefing presents summarized findings from across these efforts and represents inputs …

If knowledge and risk perception gaps among children, families, and the wider community are addressed, child trafficking can be prevented

Gaps in knowledge and risk perception on the child trafficking (CT) and commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) are among some of the key drivers for continued exploitation of children in West Bengal, India, a new GFEMS-funded study shows.  The study, “Understanding Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in West Bengal India”, was …

Prevalence of forced labor among migrant workers from Vietnam

Labor export and associated remittances have become an important solution by the Vietnamese government to create jobs and alleviate poverty in rural communities. Each year, tens of thousands of Vietnamese leave the country to work overseas. Japan and Taiwan have in recent years become the primary destinations, accounting for the majority of the country’s total …

Modern slavery risks in the Vietnam-Taiwan migration corridor

In 2020, GFEMS funded a study, conducted by Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), in collaboration with Verité, Ulula, and the Fair Hiring Initiative, with Vietnamese migrant workers at four destination workplaces in Taiwan through an anonymous, encrypted mobile-based voice survey. The study aimed to capture insights into the recruitment and employment experiences of Vietnamese workers in …

Apparel Workers in Bangladesh Face Overwhelming Vulnerability Due to COVID 19

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began, GFEMS and its partners designed a short-term aid program to support at-risk workers and factory owners in the informal apparel or Ready-made Garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh. In August and September 2020, the Fund’s partners surveyed worker households and factory owners in the industrial hubs of Keraniganj and Narayanganj …

Prevalence Estimation Methods Brief

Estimating the prevalence of modern slavery (MS) can be challenging. Traditional statistical methods alone may be insufficient to accurately estimate hard-to-reach populations. The adaptation of methods, tools, and approaches from other disciplines have emerged viable possibilities within MS sector research. To create visibility around these efforts, GFEMS and its partners have produced the Prevalence Estimation …

Prevalence Estimation: Child Sex Trafficking in Maharashtra

Estimating the prevalence of child sex trafficking (CST) is a critical first step for comprehensively addressing the problem. Information on the size of this key population provides national government agencies, non-profit organizations, another key stakeholders with an estimate of the scale and scope of the problem to inform protective and preventive measures. Such estimates also …

Ripped at the seams: Ready-made garment sector workers in a global pandemic

The ready-made garment (RMG) industry employs millions of workers in India and Bangladesh. Garment workers are vulnerable to forced labor due to high rates of poverty, the fragmented and informal nature of textile supply chains, and lack of enforcement of legal protections for workers. Though the apparel sector has long come under criticism for poor …

Red Light Refracted: Impacts of COVID-19 on Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Maharashtra

In the wake of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, persons in India’s commercial sex industry have faced social and economic upheaval. On March 24, the government of India announced a nationwide lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, leaving those who depend on commercial sex work for survival vulnerable to food insecurity, eviction/homelessness, and debilitating indebtedness. …