At the Working Group's 23rd and 25th sessions Anti-Slavery International assisted the presentation of information from Haitian activists working directly with restavèk (child domestic labour) in Haiti. These children toil under conditions akin to slavery in the homes of families who are not their own. However, a recent report published by the National Coalition for Haitian Rights confirms that, while some advances have been made, the practice of restavèk continues unabated. 1

The restavèk practice in Haiti

The report published by the National Coalition for Haitian Rights confirms that restavèk children can be as young as four years old when they are trafficked to begin their life of servitude. An estimated one in ten of all Haitian children is a restavèk. They work long hours with no pay, deprived of schooling, isolated from parental love and care and living in conditions inferior to that of the master's family. Restavèk children live constantly under the threat of physical and verbal abuse and often bear the scars of poor physical and psychological health, including stunted growth due to malnutrition, depression, anxiety and loss of self-esteem. Three quarters of restavèk children are girls, who, the report indicates, are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse as a result of being accepted sexual outlets for the men or boys of the household.

In Anti-Slavery's experience, the practice of restavèk in Haiti constitutes one of the worst and most widespread manifestations of child domestic servitude to be found anywhere in the world. Increasing scrutiny reveals that, beyond the devastating impact on the children themselves, the restavèk practice has profound negative repercussions throughout Haitian society in terms of family structure and gender and power relations as well as perpetuating the cycles of poverty and violence in one of the world's poorest nations.

Recommendations

The Government of Haiti should, as an immediate priority and in collaboration with inter-governmental bodies such as the ILO and UNICEF, take the appropriate steps to abolish the restavèk practice.

The Government of Haiti must also take immediate steps to tackle the abuse and exploitation of children in the restavèk system, especially those children in situations akin to slavery.

As a matter of urgency the Government of Haiti should take action to ratify ILO Convention No. 138 concerning the minimum age for admission to employment and ILO's Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, No.182. The Government of Haiti should implement these standards in co-operation with relevant inter-governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations.

1 National Coalition for Haitian Rights, Restavèk No More, 2002