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 CATEGORIES |
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| LAW AND POLICY : NATIONAL LEGISLATION |
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National laws fully and effectively implemented represent the cornerstone of successful action against forced and bonded labour. In South Asia, legislation against forced labour and slavery-like practices is in place in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Constitutional provisions that outlaw such practices, along with anti-bonded labour legislation and other laws such as on compulsory primary education and minimum wages, are all relevant in the fight against bonded labour and broader labour exploitation.
Effective implementation continues to present many challenges, particularly in the sectors of the rural and informal economy where debt bondage is most prevalent. Additionally the penalties imposed under bonded labour legislation are not commensurate with the egregious nature of the violation and are unlikely to create effective deterrence.
Despite a plethora of national and international legislation outlawing bonded labour, the practice still persists in South Asia. The judicial system therefore has an active role to play in eliminating this practice by ensuring that victims have full recourse to justice, and that perpetrators are prosecuted and adequately punished
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