Child Labor Issues - Essay Example

Cover Letter Child labor has been one of the most discussed issues in recent times. While child labor is still widely encouraged among poverty stricken families, major steps have been taken to curb it by international organizations. The essay below focuses on the causes, forms of child labor and some of the steps taken to eradicate child labor worldwide. This would provide the reader with a good overall understanding about child labor and its effects. Creating awareness about child labor rests with every individual and not with only governments or other powerful organizations. Hence even a commoner can do his best to prevent child labor within his or her community. This would provide an impetus for many others who can play a similar role. The most difficult part in writing this article was bringing together the different forms of child labor present worldwide. Based on the available resources within every country various forms of child labor are practiced. However only a few and the most widely present forms of child labor only have been high lightened in this article. There are several other smaller and least noticed places that engage child laborers. Despite the shortcomings this has been a huge learning experience writing the essay and hopefully it will be a good reading source for the reader as well. It will help us to open our eyes to things that could be happening in our very own locality and with some support and courage enable us to do something from our end to this effect. Essay Child labor is considered to be a global problem which is yet to be completely eradicated. The employment of very young children in an unsuitable work on a full time basis and which is considered unsuitable for their age fall under child labor. However, children aged 18 and above employed in a suitable work of their interest is not considered as child labor (Gandhi, J, 2008). Many children are employed under very hazardous working conditions, such as employment in mines and other toxic industries and such work is bound to have a much higher impact on the health and morale of the children. Many children are also employed in jobs which are considered to be worst forms of labor such as prostitution, bonded labor, child trafficking, drugs and armed conflict (Gandhi, J, 2008; Anwar & Hesketh, 2008). The international labor organization has been closely following the statistics of child labor world over and according to its 2006 report their has been a 11% decline in child labor worldwide over a period of four years from 2000 to 2004. The number of children working in hazardous conditions has also decreased by 26%. A statistical graph below depicts this comparison. Despite this decline the ILO has estimated that there are still 218 million child labors aged between 5 and 17 worldwide out of which 126 million children are employed in hazardous labor of which 74 million are aged less than 15 years of age and 8.4 million children worldwide are engaged in worst forms of child labor (Child Labor, n.d, Anwar & Hesketh, 2008; The end of child labor: Milllions of voices, one common hope, 2007). Many of the children are girls who are engaged in domestic work and other worst forms of labor such as prostitution (Child Labor, n.d). Source: Child labour and children in hazardous work, 2000 and 2004. (2008).Child Labor. Student BMJ. 16, 248-250 The regions with a high percentage of child labor include Asia and Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa which has the greatest incidence, and developed countries, Middle East and North Africa to a certain extent (Anwar & Hesketh, 2008; The end of child labor: Milllions of voices, one common hope, 2007). The major sectors employing child labor include agriculture which has the highest incidence, followed by trade and manufacturing, service industries, transport and mining and quarrying (Anwar & Hesketh, 2008). While these are the statistical figures one needs to get a good insight into the real determinants of child labor in order to find permanent remedial measures. Poverty which in turn results in illiteracy is considered to be the primary factor for employment of child labors. In addition children would not demand higher wages and they would not complain about the working conditions like adult laborers. Illiterate parents generally consider education to be irrelevant and a waste of time and money for their children. The presence of rural areas in every country increases the incidence of child labor in agriculture primarily due to lack of education and poverty. Children in the urban areas end up working in factories and other industries. A large family could also be a reason for sending children to labor in order to make both ends meet. In such conditions children become a source of income for the family thus helping the family thrive in better living conditions. Children born illegally are mostly orphaned and they also mostly end up as child laborers. With the rising economic conditions poverty stricken people consider this as a better option to school and education. Beginning with one generation this trend is carried on to future generations as well (Child Labor, n.d; Anwar & Hesketh, 2008). From the view point of poverty stricken families and difficult circumstances engaging children in labor can be a good source of income; however, it is the children who finally suffer the physical and mental agony in addition to losing their childhood and education. A lot of evidence suggests that child labors suffer from a wide range of health problems ranging from poisoning, infections, cancer and other such diseases, to deformities and other impairments. One such report from the Middle East has revealed that children working in artisan shops where they are exposed to solvents have a neurotoxic effect on them. Children employed as prostitutes tend to be affected from sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and also other problems such as teen pregnancy and abuse. All these in totality affect the overall development of the child both mentally and physically and tend to have a very lasting impact on the behavior and attitude of the child (Anwar & Hesketh, 2008). There have been several initiatives taken up by different organizations for eradicating child labor beginning with the declaration of the International Year of the Child in 1979. With a worldwide protest at the International Labor Conference in 1998 sufficient momentum has been gained towards protection of child rights. Initiatives taken up by several organizations have resulted in a decrease in child labor especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. Children have gone back to schools and have had a new lease of life (The end of child labor: Milllions of voices, one common hope, 2007). In addition the development of Convention No 182 and the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) by the ILO, both working towards eradication of child labor, has gained tremendous support worldwide. The realization that child labor is not an economic advantage to a country but is only a waste of human resources has added considerable momentum to these programmes. Other initiatives which have been developed for the same cause includes Understanding Children’s Work project (2000) a joint effort of the ILO, UNICEF and World Bank, Global Task Force (GTF) on Child Labor and Education for all (EFA) that has brought together major organizations such as ILO, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank are some programmes working towards eradicating child labor worldwide (The end of child labor: Millions of voices, one common hope, 2007). However there is still a lot of work and awareness that needs to be created world over. This will require combined efforts from both governmental and non-governmental organizations to initiate successful field projects and help children get back to schools. Providing suitable jobs for the adults in poverty stricken families can also be an alternative method to lure back children to schools. Thus with the availability of awareness and funds to support the cause, improvements can be made in an effort to eradicate child labor. The statistics from the ILO can be taken as a positive trend and it should be continued till the world is free of child laborers. Reference: 1. Child Labor. (n.d). Anti-slavery. Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/childlabour.htm 2. Gandhi, J. (2008). What is Child Labor? Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/antislavery/childlabour.htm 3. Anwar, E & Hesketh, T. (2008). Child Labor. Student BMJ. 16, 248-250 4. The end of child labor: Milllions of voices, one common hope. (2007). Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://www.ilo.org/wow/Articles/lang--en/WCMS_090028/index.htm Read More