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[NEW DELHI, 19 March 2008] - New Delhi's Fashion Week has for the first time adopted a strong focus on children’s rights. The organisers built a 'pledge wall,' where designers can air their views on child labour, and advocate for an end to the practice. This heightened attention on child labour in the apparel industry is the result of concerted action and awareness campaigns including the rescue of 14 trafficked and bonded child labourers found working for a company supplying GAP Inc. by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) since 2003. In the first rescue in 2003, trafficked and bonded child labourers were rescued from zari (embroidery) sweatshops by BBA in New Delhi. Seven boys below 14 years of age were rescued during this raid. This raid was an eye-opener – it was found that child labour was used in making designer garments and high-street fashion apparels. Suhail (name changed) was beaten at the slightest pretext during his work at the zari unit in Laxmi Nagar. He was never paid a single rupee for his work. He was given little to eat and was allowed no break at work or freedom to move. All of 12 years, Suhail recounted his plight to the activists of BBA who carried out a raid and rescue operation in Khurejji, Geeta Colony in East Delhi and released 78 children. Suhail knew the zari work that he was doing resulted in very expensive saris costing thousands of rupees. Since then, BBA has rescued over 3000 trafficked and bonded child labourers from New Delhi under Bonded Labour, Child Labour and other applicable laws. To provide maximum benefit to the children, BBA made sure that they all were given a Release Certificate under the Bonded Labour Law, which entitles each child to 20,000 Rs and benefits under various government schemes. Extending the twin strategy of promotion of ethical trading initiatives, corporate social responsibility including compliance with minimum labour standards and international conventions (ILO Convention 182 and 138), BBA focused on sensitising the designers, fashion houses and corporations. Appeals and many letters were written to designers, fashion houses and corporations to publicly denounce the practice of child trafficking for forced labour and child labour, and bring out policies for ethical trade and elimination of child labour. Few of the large designer houses like House of Valaya and coroporations like Swarovski came out in support and pledged to monitor their supply chains. After five years and massive consumer attention on trafficked and bonded child labour in apparel industry due to the media expose of slave children working for GAPKids, this social awareness drive during the latest Fashion Week is a postive step. "Our youth are the future; please do not use child labour. It is a sin beyond that ruins innocence," writes Ashish Soni, who is going to present his show along with designer Ananmika Khanna at the grand finale.