DOL Allocates $12.4M in Grants to Tackle Child and Forced Labor in Mexico
The funding is a collaborative effort to fulfill the objectives outlined in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and Mexico's 2019 labor reform.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Jan 11, 2024
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has approved funding of up to $12.4 million for three organizations to combat child and forced labor in Mexico, with a focus on migrant worker rights.
According to a DOL release dated Jan. 9, the initiative aligns with the labor-related obligations outlined in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the labor reform goals Mexico set in 2019.
Verite Inc. secures $4.4 million to intensify locally driven efforts targeting child and forced labor in the municipalities of Chiapas and San Luis Potosí. The project aims to enhance collaboration among stakeholders, including municipal government, the private sector, workers and civil society. In this manner, it will foster coordinated initiatives to address these labor challenges.
The Pan American Development Foundation receives $5 million to address child and forced labor, along with other labor violations within the domestic work sector in Mexico City and Queretaro. The project will promote labor rights for domestic workers through leadership development, skills training, and access to legal and social services for children and adults.
The International Labor Organization is granted $3 million for migrant labor rights and supports civil society efforts advocating for migrant workers. Funded activities will bolster the capacity to safeguard migrant workers (particularly Mexican nationals involved in U.S. temporary foreign worker programs), enhance awareness of labor rights and promote fair recruitment practices.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.