International Day for Abolition of Slavery [2nd December, 2022]

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed every year on 2nd December. This day marks the day of the adoption of the anti-slavery convention in the United Nations General Assembly on 2nd December 1949. The Abolition of Slavery day also aims to raise awareness about the modern forms of slavery that still exist.

Based on statistics released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), approximately 40.3 million people worldwide are in modern slavery, of which about 24.9 are victims of forced labor, and 15.4 million are in forced marriage. Read more about the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery here.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022

Slavery was abolished in 1865, but even today, around 40.3 million people suffer from modern slavery. These statistics include 24.9 million people in forced labor and 15.4 million people stuck in forced marriage. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed every year to raise awareness about the modern forms of slavery.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery also commemorates the date of the adoption of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others in the United Nations General Assembly on 2nd December 1949. Here is a brief overview of the Abolition of Slavery day:

International Day for Abolition of Slavery Theme

The theme for the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022 is "Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism". It focuses on the global movement to completely eradicate the injustices of the slave trade and to stress the significance of raising awareness about the history of the slave trade, slavery, and its impact on the modern world.

Although modern forms of slavery exist around us, they are not visible. They are hidden in the clothes we wear or the food we eat. Any form of slavery is a violation of human rights, and every human has the right to decent work. The Abolition of Slavery Day thus works towards ending the inhumanity of modern slavery once and for all.

The Abolition of Slavery

The history of the abolition of slavery can be traced back to 18th December 1865, when the United States adopted the 13th Amendment to its Constitution. As a result, over 100,000 enslaved people were freed with immediate effect in the US.

Subsequently, in the next five years, the US Congress passed the 14th and 15th Amendments that gave all American males (including black people) equal voting rights, equal protection, and the right to citizenship. However, women were not granted these rights until 1919.

History of the International Day for Abolition of Slavery

On 2nd December 1949, the United Nations adopted the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. To commemorate this date, the General Assembly of the United Nations observes 2nd December as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery every year. The aim of this day is to eradicate modern forms of slavery, such as trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and forced recruitment of children in armed conflict.

Modern Slavery

It is essential to know the modern forms of slavery that exist today to understand the significance of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. Modern slavery can be defined as the extreme exploitation of other people for commercial or personal gain. The contemporary forms of slavery, like the old forms, have originated due to discrimination against vulnerable communities such as low caste groups, indigenous people, and tribal minorities.

The International Day for Abolition of Slavery is observed to take urgent action against contemporary forms of slavery, which include:

• Forced Labor - Forced labor refers to work done by people who have been trafficked for personal, commercial, or economic gain. This includes people working in servitude, food, garment, construction, or even agricultural industry, and prostitution.
• Child Labor - One in ten children works worldwide. Child labor includes work that deprives the rights of a child of education or interferes with the child's physical, mental, or social development. This includes any form of unlawful recruitment for domestic or commercial purposes or even using children as soldiers.
• Trafficking - Trafficking includes forced transportation, recruitment, and transfer of persons by threat or other exploitation forms, including prostitution, sexual exploitation, forced labor, servitude, or even removal of organs.

Significance of International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

There are 5.4 modern slavery victims for every 1,000 people worldwide. The Abolition of Slavery Day is observed to remember and stress the need for recognition and action against modern forms of slavery because:

• People from poor and marginalized communities are particularly vulnerable. These include refugees and migrants, racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, etc.
• 99% of women and girls who are victims of forced labor are used in the commercial sex industry and 58% in other sectors.
• Out of the 40 million victims of slavery, one in four are children; three in four are women and girls from minority groups.

FAQs on International Day for Abolition of Slavery

Q1. When is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery observed?

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed on 2nd December every year. This day commemorates the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly's Convention on anti-slavery on 2nd December 1949.

Q2. Why do we celebrate International Day for the Abolition of Slavery?

The UN General Assembly proclaimed the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery to raise awareness and eradicate modern forms of slavery like trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and unlawful recruitment of child soldiers.

Q3. What is the International Day for Abolition of Slavery theme 2022?

The theme for International Day for Abolition of Slavery 2022 is "Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism." This theme aims to bring forth the stories of resistance against slavery and establish unity against racial prejudices.

Q4. When was the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery established?

On 2nd December, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. This event marks the establishment of International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.