Children Harvest Cotton in Uzbekistan, Spring 2008

Uzbekistan is the worlds second largest exporter of cotton and up to one third of the country's workforce labors on cotton farms. While the cotton industry is very profitable for a few large landowners and political elites, the vast majority of cotton farmers live in dire poverty. Independent union representation is almost nonexistent for workers. Thousands of children as young as seven work in the cotton fields instead of attending school in order to meet government-imposed cotton production quotas. Even children who are enrolled in rural schools are often dispatched to work in the fields when their schools are closed down during harvest time by government officials. Some children are conscripted to work in remote areas where they are forced to stay in dormitories while they pick cotton. Children are even compelled to apply toxic pesticides in parts of Uzbekistan without appropriate protective gear.

While the government of Uzbekistan has made public commitments to ending these brutal practices, this video made by Uzbek activists shows children still working the cotton fields in the spring of 2008.

ILRF is working with human rights organizations, socially responsible investors, and businesses to pressure the Uzbek government to stop child labor immediately.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Uzbekistan
• cotton
• child
• labor

[haimasoph]

@shavikvsozoda First of all, apparently you belong to the "elite" parasitic group of Uzbekistan that never seen cotton. Of course, officials don't send their precious children to fields.

Secondly, it's a cotton field and they weed it. Like they forced to do every year from May to June

Thirdly, in Uzbekistan farmers have no word. They don't chose what to grow, they are forced to grow what government orders them to. gov buys it from them for 1/300 of the market price.

Enough propaganda, "jalab"

[bigvato01]

im doing the exact shit today in the USA

[MrsAndijon]

Agar yozganlarizi tori chungan busam gapim shuki.

Nahotki bu pahtazor ekanligini kormayotgan busez ? I keyin fermer bugan hoz hamma joy, bu digani bilan uje davlat ulani paxta terishga majbur qimidi dimoqchi bolyapsizda. Bollarni ota onasi emas uzlari hohishi bn chiqishadi chunki ota onasi qiynalib bollarimga yeguli topiy dib uzlari terishyotganda yordam berili dib bollari yordamga chiqadi.

korgan odam anigini biladi . bilme turib gapirish yaxshi ish emas .

good luck :)

[meringandan]

why cant they use machines to harvest??

[meringandan]

What happens if you refuse to work in the fields??

[trueallways]

This is really cotton plantation!!!!!! Children cultivating it. very, very sad. Every day by Uzbek TV you can listen frases like "Soglom Avlod uchun" (For healthy generation) one hundred time. Fuck you the officials of Uzbek TV!!!

[trueallways]

I remember that my father every evening used to ask me questions about my studies at school. When, I inform him that we worked in cotton plantation he always were angry.

And he used to say, dont worry my son, I am working hard, in near future I sent you to school in Tashkent city  he knew that schoolmates in Tashkent city will not go to cotton plantation. Unfortunately things to shortage of family budget he couldnt it.

Above mentioned terrible tradition exist since former USSR time.

[shavikvsozoda]

First of all, they are not harvesting cotton.

Secondly, it is not even a cotton field.

Thirdly, in Uzb now almost every harvest field belongs to farms. That is not the government but their parents made them to go to those fields.

[noor1646]

fucking uzbek government

[thelady1234]

where exactly is this?:) like the city?