Every child deserves to be a Batang Malaya, free to learn, play, and grow without exploitation. At the Midterm Assessment of the Philippine Program Against Child Labor, Free the Slaves joined government, civil society, and international partners to examine progress, confront ongoing challenges, and strengthen the path toward eliminating child labor. This blog highlights key insights from the assessment and the role of survivor-centered and community-based approaches in building a more effective national response.

To mark the 10th anniversary of CNN’s #MyFreedomDay campaign, Free the Slaves collaborated with youth advocates across the Caribbean to highlight both milestones achieved and the urgent need for survivors and young people with disabilities to have a seat at the table in shaping the policies designed to protect them.

At the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, Alliance 8.7 marked ten years of partnership with a forward-looking conversation about what it will take to turn commitments into real protection for children. Governments, employers, workers’ representatives, international agencies, business leaders, and survivor advocates came together around a shared truth: progress is possible, but only sustained, coordinated, and survivor-centered action will close the gap between promises and impact.

In Kathmandu, thousands of children work behind closed doors as domestic workers, largely unseen and unprotected. A new report from Free the Slaves and CWISH Nepal brings their experiences into focus and examines the structural forces that sustain child domestic labor. But research alone is not enough. This work moves beyond documentation to action, engaging employers, civil society, local government, and children themselves to drive coordinated change rooted in evidence and lived experience.

Global commitments to end child labor continue to grow, yet the people most affected remain largely excluded from shaping the solutions. Reflecting on the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor in Marrakech, this piece examines the gap between intention and practice and asks a fundamental question: can lasting progress be achieved if survivor voices are not part of the decisions that affect their lives?

Climate change in Antigua and Barbuda is not only an environmental crisis, it is a human one. When hurricanes destroy livelihoods and droughts strain food and water supplies, families are pushed toward unsafe work, displacement, and increased risk of exploitation. New research highlights how climate pressures are creating conditions where human trafficking and abuse can take root, and points to urgent steps needed to protect communities before harm occurs.