Obani Abayizigqila Namuhla?

AKE ucabange ngala manani. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi izingane ezingaphansi kweminyaka engu-15 ubudala eziphakathi kwezigidi ezingu-200 nezingu-250 zichitha amahora amaningi eziphapheme ngawo zisebenza. Izingane eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-250, ezinye ezineminyaka engu-7 nje ubudala, zabuthelwa empini elwiwa ngezikhali phakathi kuka-1995 no-1996 kuphela, ngaleyo ndlela ezinye zaba izigqila zempi. Inani labesifazane nezingane abathengiswa njengezigqila unyaka ngamunye lilinganiselwa ngaphezu kwesigidi.

Kodwa la manani ethusayo awanakuyiveza indlela laba bantu abaphelelwe ithemba ngayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ezweni elithile enyakatho ye-Afrika, umlobi u-Elinor Burkett wahlangana noFatma, intokazi eyakwazi ukuphunyuka kumphathi wayo onesihluku. Nokho, ngemva kokukhuluma naye, uBurkett waphawula ukuthi uFatma “uyohlala ezibheka njengesigqila.” Ingabe uFatma angaba nethemba lekusasa elingcono? “Ubona ikusasa elifiphele,” kusho uBurkett. “Ikusasa libonakala liyinto angacabangi ngayo.”

Yebo, njengamanje, izigidi zabantu esiphila nabo ziyizigqila ezingenathemba. Kungani futhi kwenzeka kanjani ukuba bonke laba bantu babe yizigqila? Bafakwa kuziphi izinhlobo zobugqila?

Abathengisi Babantu

Incwajana yezivakashi esakazwa e-United States ikubeka ngembaba: “Ukuvakashela eThailand ngenjongo yobulili. Amantombazane angempela. Ubulili bangempela. Ngamanani aphansi. . . . Uthi bewazi ukuthi ungathenga intombazane eseyintombi ntó ngo-$200 [amaRandi angu-1 230] nje kuphela?” Le ncwajana ayichazi ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi “lezi zintombi” ziye zathunjwa noma zathengiswa ngempoqo endaweni yezifebe, lapho zilala khona namakhasimende alinganiselwa kwayishumi kuya kwangu-20 ngosuku. Uma zingavumi ukwenza izinkonzo zobulili, ziyabhaxabulwa. Lapho kuqubuka umlilo esikhungweni sezifebe ePhuket Island, indawo yokungcebeleka eseningizimu yeThailand, izifebe ezinhlanu zasha zangqongqa. Ngani? Ngoba abaninizo babezibophele emibhedeni ukuze zingakwazi ukugqashula kulobu bugqila.

Ziqhamukaphi lezi zintokazi? Kubikwa ukuthi lo mkhakha wemboni yobulili unezigidi zamantombazane nabesifazane emhlabeni wonke abaye bathunjwa, baphoqelelwa, futhi bathengiselwa ebufebeni. Ibhizinisi lokuthengisa ngobulili emhlabeni wonke liyachuma ngenxa yenhlanganisela yobumpofu bamazwe asathuthuka, ukuceba kwamazwe anothile, nemithetho ekushaya indiva ukushushumbisa okwenziwa emhlabeni wonke nokugcinwa kwezigqila.

Izinhlangano zabesifazane eNingizimu-ntshonalanga Asia ziye zalinganisela ukuthi kusukela phakathi nawo-1970 kuya ekuqaleni kwawo-1990, kwathengiswa abesifazane abayizigidi ezingu-30 emhlabeni wonke. Abathengisi babantu bagasela eziteshini zezitimela, emaphandleni ampofu, nasemigwaqweni yasemadolobheni befuna amantombazane asemancane nabesifazane ababonakala bengavikelekile. Ngokuvamile izisulu zingabantu abangafundile, abayizintandane, abalahliwe, noma abaswele. Bathenjiswa imisebenzi engekho, baweliswe imingcele, bese bethengiswa ezindaweni zezifebe.

Kusukela kwaphela ubuKhomanisi ngo-1991, kuye kwavela iqembu elisha lamantombazane nabesifazane abampofu. Ukuqedwa kwemithetho, ukumiswa kwamabhizinisi azimele, nokungalingani ngokwezomnotho okwandayo kuye kwaphumela ekwandeni kobugebengu, ubumpofu nokuswelakala kwemisebenzi. Abesifazane abaningi namantombazane aseRussia naseNtshonalanga Yurophu manje bazithola sebesetshenziswa kulobu bufebe obuhleliwe bomhlaba wonke. “Zimbalwa izingozi uma uthengisa abantu kunalapho uthengisa izidakamizwa,” kusho u-Anita Gradin, owayenguKhomishane Wezobulungisa eYurophu.

Ukulahlekelwa Ubuntwana

Kwenye imboni encane ekhiqiza ukhaphethi e-Asia, izingane ezincane ezineminyaka eyisihlanu zisebenza kusukela ngehora lesine ekuseni kuze kulamule ihora leshumi nanye ebusuku ngaphandle kwenkokhelo. Ezimweni eziningi izingane eziyizisebenzi njengalezi zibhekana nezimo eziyingozi kakhulu empilweni: imishini engaphephile, ukusebenza isikhathi eside endaweni ekhanya lufifi nengenawo umoya ohlanzekile owanele nokuchayeka kumakhemikhali ayingozi asetshenziswa ekukhiqizeni izinto.a

Kungani izingane eziyizisebenzi zifunwa kangaka? Ngoba izingane eziyizisebenzi zibiza kancane nangenxa yokuthi izingane zithobekile ngokwemvelo, kulula ukuziyala, futhi ziyesaba ukukhononda. Imizimba yazo emincane neminwe emincanyana ibhekwa abaqashi abangathembekile njengamathuluzi abalulekile okwenza imisebenzi ethile, njengokwenza ukhaphethi. Ngokuvamile izingane ezinjalo zinikezwa imisebenzi, kuyilapho abazali bazo behleli emakhaya, beswele imisebenzi.

Okwenezela osizini lwazo ukuthi izingane ezisetshenziswa ezindlini zisengozini yokuxhashazwa ngokobulili nangokomzimba. Izingane eziningi ziyathunjwa, zivalelwe emakamu akude, futhi ebusuku ziboshwe ngamaketanga ukuze zingabaleki. Emini, zingase zifakwe emsebenzini wokwakha imigwaqo nokumba amatshe.

Enye indlela ubuntwana obulahleka ngayo, kuba ngemishado yobugqila. I-Anti-Slavery International ichaza isimo esiveza lokhu: “Intombazane eneminyaka engu-12 itshelwa ukuthi umkhaya wakubo uhlelé ukuba ishade nendoda eneminyaka engu-60 ubudala. Ngokusobala inelungelo lokwenqaba, kodwa empeleni ayilitholi ithuba lokusebenzisa lelo lungelo futhi ayazi ukuthi inalo.”

Izigqila Zabakweletwayo

Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zezisebenzi agcinwa njengezigqila abaqashi bazo ezindaweni zemisebenzi ngenxa yezimali ezaziboleka noma ezabolekwa abazali bazo. Ngokuvamile, lokhu kugqilazwa kwenzeka ikakhulukazi emapulazini, lapho izisebenzi zisebenza khona emakhaya noma zibe abalimi. Ngesinye isikhathi, izikweletu zize zidlulele ezizukulwaneni ezilandelayo, okuyindlela yokuqiniseka ukuthi amalungu omkhaya ayohlale eyizigqila. Kwezinye izimo, abaqashi abakweletwa imali bathengisa isikweletu ngokusidlulisela kumqashi omusha. Ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu, izisebenzi ezikweletayo aziholelwa nhlobo ngomsebenzi eziwenzayo. Noma zingase zibanjwe yizikweletu ezincane okuyimali eziyibolekwayo efakwa emholweni wazo ngokuphindaphindiwe, ukuze zihlale zikweleta umqashi wazo.

Ubugqila Obungokwesiko

UBinti waseNtshonalanga Afrika, uneminyaka engu-12 ubudala futhi uphakathi kwezinkulungwane zamantombazane akhonza njengama-trocosi, ngesi-Ewe okusho “izigqila zawonkulunkulu.” Uphoqelelwa ukuba aphile njengesigqila esilindele ukuhlengwa ngenxa yobugebengu angazange abenze—ukudlwengula okwaholela ekuzalweni kwakhe! Okwamanje imithwalo yakhe yemfanelo ihlanganisa ukwenzela umpristi wendawo okhulekela izithixo imisebenzi yasekhaya. Kamuva imisebenzi kaBinti izokwanda ihlanganise nenkonzo yokuhlanganyela ubulili nalo mpristi, ongumphathi wakhe. Khona-ke, lapho esemdala, uBinti uyothathelwa indawo omunye—umpristi uyothola amanye amantombazane akhangayo ukuba abe ama-trocosi akhe.

NjengoBinti, izinkulungwane eziyizisulu zobugqila obungokwesiko zinikelwa yimikhaya yazo ukuze zisebenze njengezigqila ngemizamo yokususa isenzo esichazwa njengesono esiphambene nomthetho ongcwele. Ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, amantombazane noma abesifazane baphoqelelwa ukuba benze imisebenzi ehlobene nenkolo futhi bahlanganyele ubulili nabapristi noma abanye—ngoba kuthiwa laba besifazane bashade nonkulunkulu. Ezimweni eziningi laba besifazane benza nezinye izinkonzo bengakhokhelwa. Abanayo inkululeko yokushintsha indawo yokuhlala noma umsebenzi futhi ngokuvamile baba yizisebenzi iminyaka eminingi.

Ukuhweba Ngezigqila Okuvamile

Nakuba amazwe amaningi ezisholo ukuthi abenqabela ngokomthetho ubugqila, kwezinye izindawo muva nje kuye kwaqala futhi ukuhweba ngezigqila okuvamile. Ngokuvamile lokhu kwenzeka ezindaweni ezikhungethwe yizingxabano zemibango noma izimpi ezilwiwa ngezikhali. I-Anti-Slavery International iyabika: “Ezindaweni ezinezimpi ukubuswa umthetho kuphelile, futhi amasosha noma abezempi abahlomile bayakwazi ukuphoqelela abantu ukuba babasebenzele ngaphandle kwenkokhelo . . . bengasabi sijeziso; imikhuba enjalo iye yabikwa ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezibuswa amaqembu ahlomile angakaziwa emhlabeni wonke.” Nokho, yona le nhlangano ithi “kuye kwavela imibiko yamuva nje ethi amasosha kahulumeni aphoqelela izakhamuzi ukuba zisebenze njengezigqila, okuyinto engekho emthethweni. Kuye kwabikwa futhi ukuthi amasosha nabezempi baye bahileleka ekuthengiseni izigqila, bethengisa labo ababathumbile ukuba bayosebenzela abanye.”

Ngokudabukisayo, isiqalekiso sobugqila sisahlukumeza isintu ngezindlela eziningi ezifihlekile. Ake ucabange futhi ngamanani abantu abahilelekile—izigidi zabantu abahlupheka njengezigqila embulungeni yonke. Bese ucabanga ngezinye zezigqila zosuku lwanamuhla oye wafunda ngazo kula makhasi—mhlawumbe uLin-Lin noma uBinti. Uyafuna ukubona ukuqedwa kobugebengu bobugqila banamuhla? Ingabe ukwenqatshelwa kobugqila kuyoke kube into engokoqobo? Ngaphambi kokuba lokhu kwenzeke, kudingeka kwenziwe izinguquko ezinkulu. Siza ufunde ngazo esihlokweni esilandelayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 6]

UKUTHOLA IKHAMBI

Izinhlangano ezingokomthetho ezihlukahlukene, njenge-United Nation’s Children Fund ne-International Labor Organization, ngenkuthalo zisungula futhi zisebenzise izindlela zokuqeda ubugqila banamuhla. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlangano eziningi ezizimele, njenge-Anti-Slavery International ne-Human Rights Watch, ziye zenza imizamo yokuqaphelisa umphakathi ngobugqila banamuhla nokukhulula izisulu. Ezinye zalezi zinhlangano zikhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwamalebula abonisa ukuthi izimpahla azikhiqizwanga yizigqila noma izingane ezigqilazwayo. Ukuze abantu abahlanganyela ubulili nezingane babekwe icala lapho bebuyela emazweni akubo, ezinye izinhlangano zifuna kumiswe imithetho emazweni lapho “ukuvakasha ngenjongo yobulili” kudabuka khona. Abanye abashisekeli bamalungelo abantu baze ngisho bakhokhele abadayisi bezigqila izindodla zemali ukuze bahlenge izigqila eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka. Lokhu kuye kwabangela impikiswano, njengoba imikhuba enjalo ingase ivule imakethe ezuzisayo edayisa izigqila futhi yenyuse nentengo yazo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Amantombazanyana amaningi ashadiswa ngenkani

[Umthombo]

UNITED NATIONS/J.P. LAFFONT

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

Umugqa wokudla wezigqila eziboshiwe

[Umthombo]

Ricardo Funari

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

Ngezinye izikhathi izingane zibuthelwa empini ngempoqo

[Umthombo]

UNITED NATIONS/J.P. LAFFONT