E/CN.4/Sub.2/434. page 12
44. A representative of the Anti-Slavery Society for the Protection of Human Rights reported to the Group on the seminar on "Children under Apartheid" organized by the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid in Paris in June 1979. She stated that children in South Africa, particularly in the rural areas, were integrated into the apartheid system at an early age as agricultural workers and domestic servants. The rudimentary educational system administered by white farmers helped to maintain them in a subservient condition. All of the disabilities imposed by apartheid on Africans affected children even more. A 1975 report indicated that it was common for businessmen from the cities to travel to rural areas to purchase the services of young children as domestics. Impoverished African families were often forced to send their children to work on white farms for no wages in order to relieve the pressure on the family's meagre resources. She further stated that while some information on African child labour in industry had been available in the past, there was a dearth of current research into the matter. She urged the Working Group and the Sub-Commission to devote more attention to the situation of children under apartheid in the future.
45. One member of the Group said that the statements made by the non-governmental organizations and the interim report prepared by the Secretary-General showed that the question was fully within the terms of reference of the Group and that the Group and the Sub-Commission had an original contribution to make on this issue. In his view, the Group should recommend to the Sub-Commission to consider the question of the slavery-like practice of apartheid as a separate agenda item, in order to allow thorough discussion and an examination of the activities of other United Nations organs in this respect.
46. As a further contribution to the material on apartheid, the Anti-Slavery Society for the Protection of Human Rights submitted copies of a book The Workers of Namibia, published in 1979, which is an updated edition of the report bearing the same title submitted by the Society to the Group at its third session (1977).
F.
47.
The traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others
J
The Group heard a statement from a representative of the Minority Rights Group concerning the dowry system in India which, in her view, was a very old form of trafficking in persons. She brought to the Group's attention recent press reports on the alleged burning or beating to death of wives in several parts of India, apparently because the husband or his family had found the dowry inadequate. According to these reports hbre had been hundreds of coses in which the death of young wives had been passed off as resulting from a cooking accident or other sorts of accidents, while in reality the women had been dowsed with gasoline and set on fire. The press reports indicated that women's groups in India had begun campaigning against the dowry system and for a strengthening and better enforcement of the laws banning it. It appeared that the dowry system was still a deeply entrenched custom in India, and that recently there had been a resurgence of the attacks described. The Minority Rights Group representative urged the Group to bring the matter to the attention of the Indian Government for comment.
48. In the view of one member, the dowry system was a pernicious form of traffic in persons cince it involved sexual relations for financial consideration. In his view, the Group should make a thorough study of the various practices affecting women which fell within its mandate.