Human rights campaign fund

As a sex trafficking survivor, Lilufa Bibi was hoping that India would enact a new legislation aimed at helping thousands trapped in modern slavery. But lawmakers failed to table the bill in the last session of parliament, which ended this month. Bibi and other campaigners say they feel betrayed by the delay in passing the tough anti-trafficking law, which promises speedy justice and rehabilitation to survivors. "The delay only means that there are traffickers out on bail who continue to threaten victims, many of whom are still waiting for proper rehabilitation," said Bibi, 24, who escaped a brothel seven years ago. Her concerns are echoed by campaigners who point to government data that shows reports of human trafficking increasing by almost 20 percent in 2016 against the previous year, to 8,132 cases. Survivors and activists are demanding that the bill is passed by parliament soon, amid fears it may fall off the radar with political attention expected to turn to general elections set … [Read more...] about Campaigners concerned as India delays tough new anti-trafficking law

Selvi Murugesan spent 13 years making buttonholes for shirts and stitching on buttons for one of India's biggest clothing manufacturers "without raising her voice" but says she now risks losing her job for speaking out. For three months she has been "waging a war" against her employer for suspending her amid a broader push across India for the fashion industry to improve workers' conditions as trade unions start to play a more high-profile role. Murugesan, 35, said she protested because she did not receive her full annual bonus and her employer started deducting costs for her bus to and from work from her salary. "I didn't create any trouble in the factory in all these years," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a series of conversations over the phone and in person. "When I asked for my bonus and joined a few workers in a protest outside the factory sometime in October, the managers said I was out of line and suspended me." Murugesan's employer, Chennai-based garment … [Read more...] about Indian workers clash with fashion bosses as union activity rises

U.S. President Donald Trump urged lawmakers on Tuesday to work toward bipartisan compromises, but pushed a hard line on immigration, insisting on a border wall and other concessions from Democrats as part of any deal to protect the children of illegal immigrants. Trump, in his first State of the Union speech, gave no ground on the contentious issue of whether to shield young immigrants known as "Dreamers" from deportation. Aiming to keep conservative supporters happy as he looks to November congressional elections, Trump stood by a set of principles opposed by Democrats, including the border wall with Mexico and new restrictions on how many family members that legal immigrants can bring into the United States. "Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve," Trump said in his address. Trump used the hour-and-20-minute speech, given annually by presidents to … [Read more...] about Trump pushes hardline immigration policies even as he urges unity