Bonded labor is a form of trafficking where victims are compelled to work to repay a debt owed by whom?

• A. Ancestors
• B. Employers
• C. Spouses
• D. Parents

Answer: (A)

Bonded labor centers on a debt that binds a person to work. The distinctive feature here is that the debt is tied to a family line and is carried down through generations. When a debt is said to be owed by ancestors, the obligation is inherited by descendants, so the current worker must continue to labor to repay what the family as a whole originally borrowed. This hereditary aspect keeps the person in bondage even if the specific creditor or exact loan-details aren’t known or remembered today.

In many real-world cases, the initial loan might be taken by an ancestor from a moneylender or employer, and because the debt is passed along with compounding interest, subsequent generations remain obligated. That’s why ancestors is the best answer: it captures the hereditary nature of the debt that sustains bonded labor.

The other options don’t reflect this enduring family-linked obligation. The creditor could be a moneylender or employer, but the question’s emphasis is on the debt being inherited, not on who currently holds the claim, nor on relationships like spouses or parents.