Although last year saw the marking of the bicentennial of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, slavery sadly remains a widespread problem in many countries. This week, however, the Community Court of Justice for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) found that the government of Niger did not do enough to protect the right of a woman who was, from the age of 12, forced to work for her “master” for ten years. The Court ruled that the woman, Hadijatou Mani, was entitled to restitution from the government ($19.750) due the government’s inaction in not enforcing Ms Mani’s right not to be enslaved.
Here is a report from the BBC on the story.
Update: More on this story on Intlawgrrls
Filed under: Human Rights, International Courts, Public International Law
