Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice
Slavery, in the form of ‘debt-bondage’, is rife in Indian brick kilns, where the enforcement of labour laws is poor. Working equids support brick-kiln workers by transporting raw bricks into the kilns, but the situation of equids and their owners within the brick kilns is relatively unknown. We desc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Animal Welfare |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728623000015/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797814240292110336 |
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| author | Laura M Kubasiewicz Tamlin Watson Caroline Nye Natasha Chamberlain Ramesh K Perumal Ramesh Saroja Stuart L Norris Zoe Raw Faith A Burden |
| author_facet | Laura M Kubasiewicz Tamlin Watson Caroline Nye Natasha Chamberlain Ramesh K Perumal Ramesh Saroja Stuart L Norris Zoe Raw Faith A Burden |
| author_sort | Laura M Kubasiewicz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Slavery, in the form of ‘debt-bondage’, is rife in Indian brick kilns, where the enforcement of labour laws is poor. Working equids support brick-kiln workers by transporting raw bricks into the kilns, but the situation of equids and their owners within the brick kilns is relatively unknown. We describe the welfare of donkeys (Equus asinus) owned under conditions of debt-bondage, examine the links between owner and donkey behaviour, and outline the living conditions of both donkeys and humans working in the brick kilns of Gujarat, India. We then explore the unique experience of debt-bondage by donkey owners, compare migration trends to those of non-donkey-owning workers and assess impacts on their children’s education. The physical and behavioural conditions of donkeys reflected that of their owners, creating negative feedback loops and potentially reducing productivity. All donkey owners experienced debt-bondage and were particularly vulnerable to unexpected financial loss. Donkey owners, unlike non-owners, migrated within their home state, enabling their children to attend school. Our work highlights the need for policy reform within the brick-kiln industry to acknowledge the pivotal role of working donkeys in supporting human livelihoods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:04:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e044b73a4836467ca4c34ab4d6ebe783 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0962-7286 2054-1538 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:04:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Welfare |
| spelling | doaj.art-e044b73a4836467ca4c34ab4d6ebe7832023-06-01T08:23:11ZengCambridge University PressAnimal Welfare0962-72862054-15382023-01-013210.1017/awf.2023.1Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practiceLaura M Kubasiewicz0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0831-9377Tamlin Watson1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2751-5149Caroline Nye2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0579-3575Natasha Chamberlain3Ramesh K Perumal4Ramesh Saroja5Stuart L Norris6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4583-4426Zoe Raw7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7238-6702Faith A Burden8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1223-3923The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU, UKThe Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU, UKCentre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKThe Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU, UKDonkey Sanctuary Welfare Association, Ahmedabad, IndiaDonkey Sanctuary Welfare Association, Ahmedabad, IndiaThe Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU, UKThe Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU, UKThe Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU, UKSlavery, in the form of ‘debt-bondage’, is rife in Indian brick kilns, where the enforcement of labour laws is poor. Working equids support brick-kiln workers by transporting raw bricks into the kilns, but the situation of equids and their owners within the brick kilns is relatively unknown. We describe the welfare of donkeys (Equus asinus) owned under conditions of debt-bondage, examine the links between owner and donkey behaviour, and outline the living conditions of both donkeys and humans working in the brick kilns of Gujarat, India. We then explore the unique experience of debt-bondage by donkey owners, compare migration trends to those of non-donkey-owning workers and assess impacts on their children’s education. The physical and behavioural conditions of donkeys reflected that of their owners, creating negative feedback loops and potentially reducing productivity. All donkey owners experienced debt-bondage and were particularly vulnerable to unexpected financial loss. Donkey owners, unlike non-owners, migrated within their home state, enabling their children to attend school. Our work highlights the need for policy reform within the brick-kiln industry to acknowledge the pivotal role of working donkeys in supporting human livelihoods.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728623000015/type/journal_articleanimal welfarebonded labourEquus asinusone welfaresustainable developmentworking donkeys |
| spellingShingle | Laura M Kubasiewicz Tamlin Watson Caroline Nye Natasha Chamberlain Ramesh K Perumal Ramesh Saroja Stuart L Norris Zoe Raw Faith A Burden Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice Animal Welfare animal welfare bonded labour Equus asinus one welfare sustainable development working donkeys |
| title | Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice |
| title_full | Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice |
| title_fullStr | Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice |
| title_short | Bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of India: A need for reform of policy and practice |
| title_sort | bonded labour and donkey ownership in the brick kilns of india a need for reform of policy and practice |
| topic | animal welfare bonded labour Equus asinus one welfare sustainable development working donkeys |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728623000015/type/journal_article |
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