Problem of Child Labor in Family Environment - Essay Example

Child Labour is a creation of the Family Environment, Consequently, the Focus Should Be on Solving the Problems that Families Face Name Institution Tutor Date Introduction Child labour is an enduring problem affecting the welfare of children in the world today. According to the Save the Child Organization, there is an increasing trend of engaging children in the work environment to the extent of including them in dangerous roles such as being part of armed groups (Save a Child Organization, 2016). In most regions of the world, a large percentage of children work in deplorable conditions. Indeed efforts have been made by international organizations and governments to curb the vice. Nevertheless, the number of juvenile workers is increasing each day, despite the fact that the law forbids the activity. Numerous studies have also been conducted to examine the main factors that influence child labour and the remedies of reducing the phenomena. Some of the proposed reasons include a rapid increase in population, lack of awareness, poor enforcement and regulations and corruption (Osment, 2014).This paper argues that child labour is a creation of the family environment, consequently, the focus should be on solving the problems that families face. Reggio, (2007) conducted a study to examines what stimulates parents to send their children to work at an early age. The study used a collective model to examine households in Mexico. The collective model mainly estimated the decision of the households concerning the amount of time that their child will spend when working. The study mainly focused on evaluating the bargaining power of the mother in influencing the number of hours that their children work. The findings of the study disclose that the mother’s bargaining power is linked to few working hours for the daughters but not for her male children. The working hours for the girls per week would be lowered by 16 percent. The study, therefore, implies that the parents influence their children to participate in early labour. In addition, they also influence the conditions of work that their children are exposed to. According to Reggio, (2007) the policies implemented by the government to resolve child labour issues should target the mothers as the main beneficiaries of welfare benefits which may in turn bring about a positive impact to both the girl child and the boy child. It can be stated that the findings of the study conducted by Reggio, (2007) support the notion that the family greatly contributes to the exposure of the child to early child labour. It is therefore imperative for the policy initiatives adopted by the government to focus on the family. Osment, (2014) conducted another study in India and Nigeria to examine Child labour; the effect on the child, causes and remedies to the revolving menace. Osment, (2014) discloses that Nigeria and India have adopted programmes and policies that aim at eradicating child labour. Nigeria, for instance, consented to the ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182, CRC which aims at ascertaining that children are not exposed to early labour. In 1986, India adopted the national legislation through Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation act 1986. Both India and Nigeria have also endorsed strategic policies that prohibit all types of child labour. In addition, various international organizations have also implemented programs in both countries that aim at eradicating the problem. Despite, such initiatives, Osment, (2014) argues that both countries continue to experience high rates of child labour. According to Osment, (2014) families that are poor are constantly forced to use their children as a source of labour. The family is the main social – economic factor that has aggravated the seriousness of the problem even today. The study recommends that there is need for policy and government initiatives to focus on the state of the family. In some African regions, there is an increased lack of employment opportunities in formal sectors for most of the population. Children thererefore have the desire to offer financial support to their low-income families, as a result, they work in factories essentially those that deal with mining (Hilson, 2010). The problem of child labour in many African societies has been superficially diagnosed. According to Hilson, (2010) most governments and donor agencies have not realized that the key underlying cause that should be dealt with is the issues of poverty within the family which continues to escalate. According to (Hilson, 2010). It is therefore vital for governments and other stakeholders to resolve this problem from the family level. The family can be argued to be a major contributing factor to the increase in child labour based on the fact that most parents even force their children to drop out of school and enrol them as workers. Singh, (2013) discloses that children in India are forced by their parents to forego school and perform hard tasks in order to earn income for the family Most of the children work under intense economic distress. In addition, they are usually underpaid and exposed to hazardous working conditions. The exposure to child labor upsets the education of the children and impacts their safety and health. Families have institutionalized child labour within their own homes, this has resulted in a scenario where children are automatically subjected to early exposure to labour within their own homes. Bhaskaran et al. (2010) conducted a study on home-based child labour in the Delhi‟ s garments sector. The authors disclose that in the international garments market, designers have become major players. As a result, they constantly have to sustain quality productions and also their status within the market. Many designers have the desire for their work to be performed in- house. Nevertheless, there is the need to conduct some outsourcing of embellishment and embroidery work to home-based and household labours. Monitoring such activities has been difficult, as a result, most designers use the household system of garment production, where children are also included as part of the workforce. The adoption of the house-hold approach is believed to be beneficial based on the fact that it is easy to escape the regulations of child labour. The law in India permits children to work in the context of the family where the child works with other relatives and their parents (Bhaskaran et al. 2010). It can be argued that the establishment of such a system can be stated to support the idea that the family institutions promoted child labour and focus should be laid on the family in order to resolve this challenge. The existence of poverty in the family unit has been singled out as the primary reason why children are involved in labour during their juvenile age. The increase in economic challenges in many countries and an increase in population has subjected many families to living in poor conditions. Consequently, in order to resolve the existing challenges, parents have opted to involve their children in child labour (Faraaz and Patrinos, 2016). Additionally, in some countries, essentially in the developing world, the menace has been exuberated by the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS leading to a generation of orphans (Hindman, 2009). The solutions developed in order to solve the problem should therefore look into the issues or problems facing the family in order to effectively curb child labor. Additionally, factors in the economic environment such as an increase in trading activities have also affected families and therefore forcing them to get their children involved in child labour. Herath and Sharma (2007) examined child labour in South Asia and disclose that an increased level of trading activities in countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, has instigated the increase in the number of children involved in the work environment at an early age. Herath and Sharma (2007) proposes that there is need to implement regulations that prevent families from sending their children to work at a young age. It can be stated that various initiatives have been enforced in order to eradicate the threat of child labour. A case in point is the legal dimension of the International Labour Organization in ending child labour. Various legal instruments have been employed to evaluate the effectiveness of International Labour Organization supervisory system. Particular attention has been placed on Convention 182 that describes ways of eliminating worst kinds of child labour (Nogler and Pertile, 2016). This paper, however, argues that such initiatives should recognize the fact that resolving the challenges that families face is the first step towards resolving the problem of child labour. As a result, more focus should be placed on the family as opposed to imposing regulations that do not adequately confront the root cause of problem. Conclusion The above discussion has examined the notion that child labour is a creation of the family environment, consequently, the focus should be on solving the problems that families face. The paper has identified various studies that have depicted that, indeed, the root cause of child labour emanates from the family. In most cases the existence of poverty, the lack of employment and diseases such as HIV/AIDS have resulted in a situation where families subject their children to child labour. This paper therefore proposes that in order to resolve this social hazard, it is fundamental to eliminate the challenges that face families. References Bhaskaran, R., Nathan, D., Phillips, N and Upendranadh, C. (2010). Home-based child labor in the Delhi‟ s garments sector: contemporary forms of unfree labor in global production.‟ Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 53(4), 607-624. Faraaz S and Patrinos H. A. (2016). Child labor: Causes, Issues, and interventions. Human Capital Development and Operations Policy. Hilson, G. (2010). Child labor in African artisan mining communities: Experiences from Northern Ghana. Development and Change, 41(3), 445-473. Hindman, H. D. (2009). The world of child labor: A historical and regional survey. Sharpe. Herath, G., & Sharma, K. (2007). Child labor in South Asia. Burlington, VT: Ashgate. Nogler, L., & Pertile, M. (2016). Child labor in a globalized world: a legal analysis of ILO action. Routledge. Osment, L. (2014). Child labour; the effect on child, causes and remedies to the revolving menace. Lunds University Reggio, L. (2007). The influence of the mother’s power on her child’s labor in Mexico. UCLA. Singh, R. (2013). Child labor in India. Anusandhanika, vol5. No 1 and 2. Pp 44. Savethechildren (2016) http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/index.html. Annotated Bibliography Hilson, G. (2010). Child labor in African artisan mining communities: Experiences from Northern Ghana. Development and Change, 41(3), 445-473. The paper describes child labor as an impending problem in small-scale mining areas in third world countries. The study discloses that in Africa there is a lack of employment opportunities for most of the population. Children thererefore have the desire to offer financial support to their low-income families, as a result, they work in factories. The article concludes by providing suggestion on how to curb child labor. It calls upon the governments to be fully involved in the menace. The article is vital for my research since it attempts to support the notion that it is the family background that instigates the exposure of children to hard work at an early age. It also highligts the basic reasorns why children are forced to work at an ealey age and the difficulties they face. Moreover, it provides current information on how improving the condition of the family will resolve the problem. Osment, L. (2014). Child labour; the effect on child, causes and remedies to the revolving menace. Lunds University. The study examines child labour through the case of India and Nigeria. The author highlights that over the decades, families that are poor are forced to use their children as a source of labour. This is the main factor that influences the seriousness of the problem even today. The study recommends that there is need for policy and government initiatives to focus on the state of the family. The resource is useful because it shows the contribution of the state of the family in promoting child labour. In addition, it offers solutions in terms of policy and government initiatives that can be used in resolving the problem. Reggio, L. (2007). The influence of the mother’s power on her child’s labor in Mexico. UCLA. Reggio, (2007) examines what stimulates parents to send their children to work at an early age. The study uses a collective model to examine households in Mexico. It mainly focuses on evaluating the bargaining power of the mother in influencing the number of hours that their children work. The findings of the study disclose that the mother’s bargaining power is linked to few working hours for the daughters but not for her male children. The working hours for the girls per week would be lowered by 16 percent. The study therefore implies that the parents influence their children to participate in early labour. In addition, they also influence the conditions of work that their children are exposed to. The study is relevant for the notion that the family contributes to early child labour. It introduces an intriguing concept of the mother’s contribution. In addition, it introduces the concept of gender and how families expose their children to child labour on the basis of gender. Singh, R. (2013). Child labor in India. Anusandhanika, vol5. No 1 and 2. Pp 44. The journal by Singh provides an insight concerning the problem of child labor in India. It states that children are subjected to tasks that they are too young to perform. Indian children work under intense economic distress. They are forced to forgo their educational opportunities by their parents and perform jobs that are detrimental to their lives. The children are usually underpaid and exposed to hazardous working conditions. Additionally, the journal records that parents allow their children to engage in such jobs due to poverty. As a result, child labor affects the education of the children and impacts their safety and health. The journal offers remedies to child labor in India. The journal is relevant for the study since it discloses the state of child labor in India and how it impacts the lives of children. More fundamentally, the study reveals the role that parents in exposing their children to such difficult conditions. In most cases, the children are forced to drop out of school. The article therefore supports the notion that it is the family environment that exposes the child to the tough working environment at an early age. Solutions should therefore be found by resolving the family challenges. Bhaskaran, R., Nathan, D., Phillips, N and Upendranadh, C. (2010). Home-based child labor in the Delhi‟ s garments sector: contemporary forms of unfree labor in global production.‟ Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 53(4), 607-624. The journal examines the nature of child labor in garments production in Delhi. The study found out that there exists child labor in the embroidery department of garment production. The study analyses the role of poverty in the household in promoting child labor. Additionally, the journal investigates the possible options that can be utilized to eradicate child labor. This source is useful in presenting a connection between the condition of the family and child labour. Bhaskaran et al. (2010) reveal that there are home- based child labour departments in the Delhi‟ s garments sector, where many children are exposed to work at an early age. The existence of such work institutions in the home environment depicts that the family promotes child labour. Savethechildren (2016) http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/index.html. The authorized website known as Save the children charity campaigns aims to improve the lives of children across the world. The website believes that every child needs a future. The website offers eight principles which offer a framework for helping nations design action plans to help improve the lives for children in early years. Additionally, the website calls upon the government to help prevent child labor. The site acknowledges the fact that the state of poverty in most families influences the participation of children in the labour sector at an early age. Consequently, without government intervention in improving the economy and educating parents, thousands of children across the world are likely to drop out of school and lack basic literacy skills. The website is useful in providing information concerning the role of the family background in influencing the exposure of children to early labour. It provides a wild view of the situation based on the fact that Save the children charity campaigns, is a global initiative. Faraaz S and Patrinos H. A. (2016). Child labor: Causes, Issues, and interventions. Human Capital Development and Operations Policy. Retrieved From The article by Faraaz and Patrinos indicates that child labor is prevalent in many nations across the world. The authors suggest that poverty in the home is the main reason why children work. However, the article states that children are poorly paid yet they toil for long hours and contribute immensely towards the welfare of the family. The article is relevant for the paper since it acknowledges that it is the home environment that subjects the child to early labour. A more worrying fact presented by the report is that the children are poorly compensated yet they work for long hours and contribute enormously towards the welfare of the family. Hindman, H. D. (2009). The world of child labor: A historical and regional survey. Sharpe. This is a perfect resource detailing the historical and current condition of child labor every region of the world. The book focuses on the causes of child labor, its consequences, and remedies. The author singles out poverty in the family unit as the primary reason why children work in firms. Additionally, the author claims that the menace has been exuberated by the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS leading to a generation of orphans. The author suggests that several measures should be undertaken to curb child labor. The source is important for the paper since if it offers definitive information about child labor and the contribution of the family environment in influencing the menace. It entails information by an international group of child labor researchers, scholars, activist and policy makers. Additionally, it has a wealth of current information and statistical data. The book is the most appropriate reference accessible for the subject matter. Herath, G., & Sharma, K. (2007). Child labor in South Asia. Burlington, VT: Ashgate. Herath and Sharma claim that child labor is a controversial issue all over developing nations. Based on facts from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, this book aims at improving understanding about the link between growth and trade influence families to adopt child labor practices. It also provides several ways of managing child labor in third world countries. This book is essential for the paper since it offers valid and current information on concerning key issues that influence child labour in the Southern region of Asia how they make families to see the need to get their children involved in early employment. It provides valuable information concerning how the issues affecting the family such as the state of the economy and involvement in trade may influence families to get their children into the labour market an early age. The book also shed lights on the child labor debate by listing the experience of South Asian third world countries experiencing rapid income. Nogler, L., & Pertile, M. (2016). Child labor in a globalized world: a legal analysis of ILO action. Routledge. The book explores legal dimensions of the international labor organization in ending child labor. The book analyses the implementation of various legal instruments and gauges the effectiveness of International Labour Organization supervisory system. The authors consider relevant instruments and giving particular attention to Convention 182 that describes ways of eliminating worst kinds of child labor. The book outlines the activities by ILO in eradicating child labor and evaluating various legal framework of the supervisory system. This source is important for the paper since it offers information on ways of eliminating child labor across the world and accesses the activities of ILO. It is valuable since it provides information on how families should be assisted to eradicate child labour. The book is therefore a useful resource in highlighting the connection between child labour and the family background. Read More