Editor’s Note: Jonathan Todres is Catherine C. Henson professor of law at Georgia State University. He is the author of numerous publications on children’s rights and human trafficking, and he regularly advises organizations working on these issues. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. In an era of often-deep political divide, human trafficking should be one issue where there is consensus. Indeed, the vast majority of us recognize that human trafficking and forced labor are human rights violations that must not be tolerated. Yet millions of children today are exploited in forced labor. Instead of attending school, they work in hazardous conditions in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, construction, fishing, and other sectors. While we need to be innovative in addressing such exploitation, a key pillar of any solution already exists in communities across the globe: education. Education is a foundational human right that has been recognized…
