What is the restavek system in Haiti?

Restavek is a form of modern-day child slavery that persists in Haiti, affecting one in every 15 children. Typically born into poor rural families, restavek children are often given to relatives or strangers. In their new homes, they become domestic slaves, performing menial tasks for no pay.

How are children treated in Haiti?

They are physically and verbally abused, their basic needs are neglected and they are either partially or completely withheld from school. Though the children are trafficked and treated as slaves, payments are made to the traffickers in the form of gifts. The number of restavèk children in Haiti is unknown.

Who were restavek children and why were they sent to other families?

Frequently known as “restaveks”, these children are sent by their parents to live with families who employ them as domestic workers, responsible for doing everything for no pay and living in dire conditions.

How many children work in Haiti?

182. Haiti has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3)….Moderate Advancement.

Is restavek legal?

Estimates put the number of restavèk children in Haiti between 150,000-500,000. The practice of restavèk is now illegal in Haiti, but remains a deeply entrenched and culturally accepted practice. Girls comprise the majority of restavèk children and are particularly vulnerable to abuse, sexual violence, and rape.

What does the word restavek mean?

“Restavek (a Haitian creole word which is from two French words: “rester” and “avec”) refers to a child who has moved from his or her biological family to stay with a host family and serves the family as a domestic child; this new social environment is characterized by the violation of his/her rights, such as: his/her …

How do children live in Haiti?

Growing up as a child in Haiti, life is a daily struggle. These poor children, no matter what their age, if they can walk, they can work. They have so much work each day it is like watching them grow up as adults in the body of a child. Some parents just abandon their children because they can’t feed them.

What do Restaveks do?

A restavek (or restavec) is a child in Haiti who is sold by their parents to work for a host household as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources required to support the child. The term comes from the French language rester avec, “to stay with”.

Do kids work in Haiti?

An estimated 21% of Haitian children work, but the number of children working in urban child labor in unknown. The children who were engaged in child labor ranged between 8 to 17 years.

When was restavek abolished in Haiti?

2003
Enacted in 2003, Article 335 of the Haitian Labor code prohibits the employment of children under the age of 15. Furthermore, an Act passed in June 2003 specifically outlawed the placement of children into restavek service.

How many children are in orphanages in Haiti?

An estimated 30,000 children live in orphanages in Haiti, created for a combination of complex reasons – poverty, natural disasters, physical/intellectual disabilities, inadequate housing, lack of health and education services, etc.

What is home life like in Haiti?

The majority of all rural housing consists of two-room dwellings that have mud walls and floors and roofs that are thatched with local grasses or palm leaves; they may also be constructed with plastic and other materials and roofed with corrugated metal. The windows are paneless and covered with wooden shutters.