Indentured Child Labour: The Restavek System of Haiti’s Child Slaves

The Restavek system in Haiti is a form of child domestic slavery affecting approximately 300,000 children, mostly poor girls from rural areas. These children are placed with urban families ostensibly for education and better living conditions but are instead exploited through unpaid labour. The system is rooted in Haiti's poverty, cultural traditions, and involves migration and commodification of children. What began as an intended welfare arrangement has become entrenched as a system of trafficking and slavery.

Key points

• Approximately 300,000 children in Haiti are affected by the Restavek system
• Restavek children are predominantly girls from poor, rural backgrounds placed with urban families
• The system involves unpaid domestic labour despite promises of education and improved circumstances
• The practice is embedded in Haitian culture and tradition, linked to poverty and migration
• The arrangement, originally intended as welfare, has become a form of child slavery and trafficking

Limitations

This document describes the Restavek system and its scope but does not evaluate any intervention or provide empirical data on outcomes for affected children. It cannot tell us about the effectiveness of efforts to address this problem or the lived experiences of individual children in detail.