eradicating child labor in the country thesis statement

Child labour: Causes, consequences and policies to tackle it Child labour: causes, consequences and policies to tackle it

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• Volume 8, Issue 1
• Street and working children: perspectives on child labour and child work
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5868-4615 Jónína Einarsdóttir
• Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics , University of Iceland School of Social Sciences , Reykjavik , Iceland
• Correspondence to Professor Jónína Einarsdóttir; je{at}hi.is

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002953

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• Anthropology
• Low and Middle Income Countries
• Social work
• Child Health
• Health Policy

The 2021 report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF indicates a stagnation in progress towards eliminating child labour since 2016. 1 While prevalence has declined in Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has experienced an increase in both the number and percentage of labouring children since 2012, surpassing figures in other regions. Globally, agriculture accounts for the highest proportion of child labour (70%), particularly among younger workers. In SSA, the child labour prevalence among children aged 5–17 stands at 24%, encompassing nearly 87 million children. Moreover, the region exhibits the highest global share of child labourers in agriculture (82%) and the largest proportion of youngest labourers (5–11 years).

The differentiation between child labour and child work is fundamental to the current global approach aimed at eradicating child labour. UNICEF and the ILO define child work as light, age-appropriate tasks within the family context, including assistance with household chores, family businesses and, notably, agriculture. Such work is considered conducive to child development and socialisation without impeding education, health or well-being. Conversely, child labour is often characterised as exploitative and detrimental to children’s mental, physical, social or moral development. It deprives children of their childhood and impedes their educational progress. Child labour frequently involves full-time work at an inappropriately young age, in hazardous conditions or for extended periods. While child work is typically unpaid, child labour may involve remuneration. This distinction, guided by ILO Convention No. 138 on minimum age for employment and ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, forms the foundation for efforts to eradicate all forms of child labour.

Eminent scholars in childhood studies have identified three dominant discourses on child labour in Africa and Asia, regions with high concentrations of labouring children. 2 The first is the work-free childhood perspective, which posits that childhood should be devoid of labour, emphasising education and play as the most appropriate activities for children. This perspective has significantly influenced international policies aimed at ending all child labour. The second, the sociocultural perspective, argues that children’s work must be understood within its specific cultural context. This approach recognises child work as an integral part of socialisation and the transition to adulthood. The third, the political economy perspective, contextualises child labour within broader economic and political transformations, examining the impacts of globalisation and macroeconomic policies, such as structural adjustment programmes, on children’s work.

The three perspectives of child labour in Africa and Asia are underpinned by distinct normative values and ideologies. 2 While the work-free childhood perspective tends to categorise children’s work as either destructive child labour or more acceptable child work, the sociocultural and political economy perspectives conceptualise child work as existing on a continuum. These latter perspectives emphasise the importance of the work context, its nature and its impact on children rather than applying predefined categorisations that reflect Western idealised notions of childhood. An additional emerging perspective, concerned with the local context of children’s lives, advocates for decolonising research on childhood and children’s experiences. 3 The decolonising perspective aims to challenge dominant Northern-centric ideologies, prevalent colonial assumptions, racial discrimination and adultism by incorporating indigenous, decolonial and postcolonial perspectives, particularly in Africa, Latin America and South Asia. It critiques international institutions’ efforts to protect the concept of a ‘global childhood’ through the dismissal of children’s labour as insignificant work and targeting it for elimination.

Upholding children’s voices, ensuring their participation and safeguarding their well-being are central tenets of children’s rights. Working children’s movements in Latin America began to emerge in the late 1970s, with corresponding movements established in Africa and Asia in the 1990s. 4 Their stance aligns with the sociocultural and political economy perspectives outlined above. These movements’ pragmatic agenda reflects their lived experience and opposes one-size-fits-all global policies. They advocate for improved working environments, including safety measures and fair wages, while recognising and opposing exploitation. They argue that appropriate legal frameworks should protect working children’s rights rather than criminalising their work. The working children’s movements call for access to education that allows children to balance work and schooling, professional training tailored to their circumstances and quality healthcare. They demand participation in decisions affecting them locally, nationally and internationally. Instead of criminalising their work and boycotting their products, they argue that the root causes of working children’s situations should be addressed, particularly poverty. Acknowledging that child labour is most prevalent in agriculture, they advocate for enhancing the living conditions of rural children.

The recently published volume ‘Children’s Work in African Agriculture: The Harmful and the Harmless’ challenges conventional approaches to eliminating child labour. 5 It argues for a contextual, relational understanding of children’s work by delineating the diversity of their tasks, economic realities and cultural context. While protection from exploitation remains necessary, the authors contend that, at times, blanket interventions to eliminate child labour cause collateral damage. Furthermore, the current global approach to child labour too often disregards children’s valuable financial contribution to survival and education. For instance, child labour frequently finances school attendance in SSA, a region with the highest number of out-of-school children. Paying particular attention to the concept of harm, the ever-changing, context-dependent line between harm and benefit is highlighted. The volume posits that work in SSA is a normative aspect of rural childhood, imparting vital skills for adult life; however, it concludes that the harmful work of children in African agriculture is not an unavoidable consequence of rural poverty. In line with working children’s movements, the authors advocate for a context-sensitive approach to mitigating harmful work and providing localised child protection, appropriate education, and quality health services.

Considering the high proportion of children in labour in SSA, global policies and interventions to eliminate child labour in recent decades have not been successful. 1 Obviously, age and ability matter in allocating tasks; there is a significant difference between a 6–year-old child and a 16–year-old teenager. However, criminalising working children’s survival strategies and, at times, subjecting their communities to derogatory and demeaning discourses about ‘lost childhoods’ and ‘ingrained cultural traditions and attitudes’ is doomed to fail. It is imperative to adopt alternative approaches against exploitation and harmful conditions for working children while simultaneously enhancing their well-being and future prospects. These must be guided by respect for the communities to which the children belong and children’s rights, not least the right to have a voice and participate in decisions that affect them.

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Collaborators This is a personal Viewpoint.

Contributors Imti Choonara, BMJ Paediatrics Open Commissioning Editor (in collaboration with Shanti Raman, PhD, Editor in Chief BMJ Paeds Open) invited me to submit a Viewpoint for Topic Collection: Health and Wellbeing of Street and Working Children in collaboration with the International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP). I used Grammarly to enhance the English language.

Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests No, there are no competing interests.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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Problem of Child Labor in Modern Society Essay

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Worst forms of child labor

Economic theory of child labor, addressing the problem of child labor.

Erick Edmonds looks at the current definitions of child labor with references to politicians and economists. Politicians refer to child labor as works that weaken the welfare of children. On the other hand, economists see child labor as economic activities where children participate. He also notes that child labor is a world phenomenon with the majority employers of these children being their parents.

Erick also looks at the reasons why children work. He observes impoverished situations in developing countries force children to engage in paying labor to supplement the meager family income. However, in some cases, child labor may not end even if the living standards improve because parents want to see their children earn. In developing countries, parents would want to see their children go to school. These studies across countries reveal that child labor develops out of poverty.

The author notes that globalization and child labor interact in two ways. Globalization is most likely to increase child labor in developing countries due to increase in demand for labor. On the other hand, improved household earnings can also reduce child labor if the main cause is poverty within the family.

Rich nations may also use their trade policies to curtail child labor by influencing the export of products from nations known to engage in child labor for productions. Erick demonstrates by study in Vietnam where increased earnings from rise led to reduction in child labor.

Erick’s study shows that parents in developing nations use extra incomes to move their children out of the labor market. He further highlights that restricting exports from the developing nations to curtail child labor may not create the desired results. The best way to control child labor is through supplementing supports for household incomes, and probably to offer incentives for children to stay in school.

In short, the challenge for countries concerned about child labor is not to fight globalization and international trade, but rather to ensure that gains from the trade reach to the poor households. Evidences show that child labor can almost disappear if the living standards in poor households improve.

People concerned with the child labor have long recognized it as a general practice in developing nations. However, in the recent past, it has attracted the attention of economists. In this regard, the economists’ view of child labor is generally new. There are several abominable exploitations of children.

These are what constitute worst forms of child labor: child prostitution, bonded labor, child soldering or works with extremely hazardous, unhealthy or personally dehumanizing. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), these are the worst forms of child labor (Wiener, 2009).

Economists are disassociating themselves with the worst forms of child labor. They do not try to defend their existence or justify them. Conversely, they believe that the worst forms of child labor are on the decline. Currently, they have shifted their attentions to look at the child work around family farm, local farms, domestic works, in service industries or in an office environment. They argue that the term child labor is a catchall, which includes even the acceptable forms of child work.

Economists believe that most family would not like to see their children work. Conversely, most families who send their children to work do so because of pressing financial needs. They believe that it is the family responsible for the supply of child labor but not demand for it. This is because the prevailing adults’ wages are too low to support a household.

Therefore, families would prefer their children do not work, but the prevailing wage circumstances force them in labor to supplement the family income. In this context, if the parents’ earnings are adequate to support a household, then parents can afford to cater for their children school fees and keep them out of the labor market. This also implies that wages must remain high in order to restrict the supply of child labor because children are low earners (Hugh, 2009).

Historically, the developed nations once depended on child labor in conditions similar to these we observe in emerging nations. Historians point out that developed nations took time to resolve their child labor problem, but they are now impatiently pushing for immediate, and rapid solutions in developing countries.

Today’s child labor condition has acquired a new feature. There is a global drive to eradicate child labor. The movement has its roots in the developed nations in the late 1970s. The UN supported the movement through adoption of its UN convention on the Rights of the Child. The program further gained momentum in the year 1992 through adoption of the IPEC.

Governments are adopting strict measure to curtail child labor because people believe that they are the generation of tomorrow. Therefore, their future must be safeguarded for a better future. There have been emphases on scholarship from donors, governments, and private persons on child labor studies. These studies are developing the significant insights that highlight the causes, effects and remedies for child labor.

We are certainly aware of the issues surrounding child labor. Employers who seek access to the global consumers are careful not to involve child labors in production of their products. The community is making progress in eradication of child labor. However, the achievements are uneven and vary from country to country particularly in countries experiencing political instability and extreme poverty.

Certainly, complete eradication of child labor may not be possible, and many children will continue to experience worst forms of child labor. However, we might be able to eradicate the worst forms of child labor after a life time.

Social scientists support child works in the lives of children. However, they dwell on a balanced view whereby the work is not harmful and does not deter a child from accessing a good-quality education. They agree that children themselves tend to articulate these views well.

However, there is a challenge to universal worst forms of child labor. Children have tended to elaborate their views on child work. These views seem to reflect that the community should protect children from exploitations. At the same time, they have ideas of normal and appropriate childhood with the right to education, right to work and earn from their works. That is if they need extra income or if they want to make their own money (Corsaro, 2005).

These constitute part on normal childhood. The developed nations such as the US, the United Kingdom and Netherlands have adopted these views of child work. This view regards child labor as a problem and not children’s work but as an abuse of children’s capacity to work (Liebel, 2004).

Industrialized nations took steps of ending child labor in the 20th century. There are emerging cases of child labor in the third world nations. Governments and several NGOs have taken measures of curbing child labor. There is a growing trend whereby human rights bodies and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have joined the fight against child labor.

The problem with the child labor is that it is so ingrained and extensive in the society to the extent that penetrating it becomes a challenge to the government as well as the NGOs. The nature of child labor in the society has forced governments, and NGOs to adopt different methods. For instance, the Rugmark strives to curtail child labor through certification that carpets are not productions of child labor.

The UN’s ILO has been tirelessly and effectively working through its International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) in advocating the rights of children. These are just but a few examples of combating child labor. However, every government and other bodies, at least in every state, have at least some mechanisms in place to combat child labor.

Child labor is a concern of immense economic and social considerations throughout the developing nations. Though, observers have noticed a number of encouraging trends to curtail child labor in areas such as Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil and Turkey, the problem still persists in most countries. Several children work absolutely in unpleasant conditions and many more work out of necessities or circumstances. Child labor has robbed off these children their childhoods and their futures.

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Eradicating Child Labor: Ending Economic Exploitation of Children as an Objective of Sustainable Development

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Economic exploitation of children ; Exploitative child work

Definitions

While there is no universally accepted definition of child labor, child labor is usually defined based on different international legal instruments as work performed by a child that is harmful to his or her physical and mental development by virtue of being physically, mentally, socially, or morally dangerous or harmful or that interferes with schooling by causing nonattendance, premature school leaving, or combination of school with heavy and long hours of work (ILO 2018a ).

Child Labor in the Sustainable Development Agenda

Global estimates show that 152 million children are in child labor and 73 million children are engaged in hazardous work. Child labor prevalence rates vary considerably between different regions but are highest in Africa with 19.6%, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 7.4%. Fifty-eight percent of children in child labor are boys, while 42% are girls. Nearly half of all children in...

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Erdem Türkelli, G. (2019). Eradicating Child Labor: Ending Economic Exploitation of Children as an Objective of Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Decent Work and Economic Growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71058-7_3-2

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Child Labour: Economic Development And The Intergenerational Poverty Persistence Cycle

• Isabella Patrick
• September 15, 2020
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Child labour is simultaneously the cause and the consequence of the lack of economic growth in developing countries. Putting children to work delays economic development, and without economic development, more children find themselves put to work. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle of poverty. The poverty cycle and inability to receive an education play key roles in the struggle to eradicate child labour.

The United Nations has named 17 Goals for its Sustainable Development Agenda, referring to this set of goals as “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” The eighth of these Sustainable Development Goals is “Decent Work and Economic Growth.” As the U.N. defines this goal, in order to claim a better future, we must “promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.” As part of this project, essentially, we must end child labour.

Eric V. Edmonds’s paper, “Economic Growth and Child Labour in Low Income Economies,” does a good job of explaining how child labour is affected by economic growth. Edmonds believes, based on years of intense research, that policy discussion around sustainable development should pay a greater level of attention to child labour.

Firstly, high levels of child labour in a developing country delays the country’s economic growth, but simultaneously, economic growth will also lead to a decline in child labour. This phenomenon is caused by the following factors:

• The more widespread child employment is, the lower the wages for unskilled workers are – child labour is unskilled work. Low wages have long term consequences on the economic growth for the country because when there are too many unskilled workers, the workforce is discouraged from adopting new technologies. This hinders growth.
• Countries acquire technology which they believe will add value to factors they are already proficient in. The more a country relies on child labour, the less likely it is that that country is willing to acquire new technology – thereby decreasing growth and leaving countries worse off over the long term.
• Economic growth in a country will decrease the level of child employment. In poverty-stricken areas, child workers’ wages are a valuable source of household income. As the economy grows, and parents’ wages theoretically increase, children are required to work less. In the short term, economic growth might lead to more child labour as new employment opportunities open up, but in the long run, better pay can be expected to decrease the necessity of child labour.
• When more workers are willing to work at a certain pay rate than there are jobs available, the workers compete for the jobs, which decreases the pay rate. Because child workers are often more desperate and agreeable than adults, children can be hired at lower wages. This leads to more children being employed at increasingly lower wages. This then leads to more children being employed at ever-lower wages. This is the driving force behind the vicious cycle of poverty – child labour leads to low wages, which fuels the need for child labour.

Education is the fundamental key to encourage economic growth. But when the younger generations are employed, children are unable to attend school. There are only so many hours in the day, and child workers are forced to choose between their employment and their education. If work is required after school hours, that employment may help the family to afford school expenses, making it easier for the child to attend school – but on the other hand, this decreases their personal development, as the lack of free time prevents them from socializing with others. Millions of families must face this challenging decision every year.

The lack of access to education is one of the main reasons that child labour still exists today. Jackline Wahba concluded in her 2006 article, “The Influence of Market Wages and Parental History on Child Labor and Schooling in Egypt,” that, with all else being equal, the children of child labourers are more likely to become child labourers themselves. Wahba suggests that child labourers are disadvantaged as they have access to very limited education and a much higher probability of hindered physical and mental health. Working so young leads to physical and mental consequences, which come into play in adulthood, leaving parents unable to work. This then leads to them being economically poorer as adults compared to those who did not work as children. Their children are then forced to go into early employment as a way to provide for the family. Children are all regarded as “unskilled” in the workforce and will start at jobs with very low wages – poorer starts, unfortunately, tend to mean that there will be a career of unskilled occupations with low wages. This intergenerational cycle poses a great challenge to those looking to improve child welfare.

Due to the intergenerational poverty persistence cycle, child labour is both a cause and consequence of a lack of economic development. Economic improvement will, in theory, eradicate child labour, but child labour discourages economic improvement. Education is another way to break this intergenerational cycle, but working prevents children from attending school. This cycle is the devastating reality for so many nations, families, and individuals worldwide. As Grace Abbott said, “Child labour and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labour of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labour to the end of time.”

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Five Reasons Why Eradicating Child Labor Is Crucial For Education

June 11, 2016

Photo by AsiaInspection.

June 12, 2016, marks the World Day Against Child Labor, and this year, child labor in supply chain is in focus. With over 168 million child laborers worldwide, this problem still remains grave. In addition to the disadvantages faced by many workers in poorer countries, such as hazardous working conditions, long hours, lack of mandated leave, etc., child laborers are denied a fundamental human right: the right to education.

In the daily work of AsiaInspection (AI), a global product safety, quality, and compliance provider, child labor is a critical factor in any social audit carried out for AI’s clients. Any indication of underage workers being present at a factory is enough to give a social audit a failing grade, and label the factory as non-compliant.

However, for any brand that discovers their supplier has been compromised, simply choosing a different factory may not the best solution. A more constructive way forward is to work with the factory to ensure that child laborers are put back in school.

In investigating child labor, AI’s process is not limited to identifying and reporting the problem. Coordinating their efforts with the brand, AI’s social auditors ensure the child laborer’s safety and create an environment in which they feel comfortable discussing their honest views on work and education. With an understanding of the underage worker’s family and economic situation, AI and the brand engage the help of NGOs to improve it.

The most common reason for child and underage labor is the family’s need for an extra provider. Because of this, one of the best ways to handle the problem is ensuring education for the child while securing the income they used to bring to their family. Some brands put pressure on their suppliers to replace the child laborer with an adult member of their family, or to pay the child’s salary while they receive their education.

People often restrict their idea of child labor to very young children. However, workers in their early teens are equally vulnerable, and their being underage is not always immediately apparent. The International Labour Organization sets the minimum working age at 15, and rules that no-one under 18 should be involved in hazardous work.

Another key aspect of the definition of child labor by the ILO is “work that deprives children of the opportunity to attend school.” Indeed, child labor is incompatible with education, and here are five reasons why:

• Child labor is a barrier to education access and enrollment

Even in communities where schools are available, child labor is often perceived as the best use of the children’s time. Recent studies confirm that child labor is negatively correlated with school enrolment and delays school entry. For example, in Cambodia, a child is 17% less likely to enter school at the enrolment age. Child labor also increases drop-out rates, as poverty forces many children out of schools and into paying jobs.

• Child labor is a barrier to learning

In countries where child labor is common, children who combine work and school are disadvantaged compared to children in full-time education. Limited time and exhaustion from work greatly impairs their participation, and they are much less likely to receive the full benefits of the education available to them. A 2014 study of sixty countries showed that working children face an attendance disadvantage of 10% to 30% compared to their non-working counterparts (Policy Paper: Out-of-school Children and Child Labor. Global March Against Child Labour, 2014). Statistically, working children have lower test scores, poorer attendance rates, and are more likely to repeat grades.

• Child labor traps children in poverty

Entering the workforce too early diminishes a child’s lifetime earning potential. Child laborers have very limited ability to take advantage of educational opportunities that would help them receive better-paying jobs as adults. As a result, someone who started working as a child may remain in a low-paying and hazardous job for the rest of their life, failing to improve their own economic position and that of their future family.

• Child labor has consequences for the next generation

As a logical consequence of the above reason, child labor can perpetuate inter-generational cycles of poverty. Parents who entered the workforce early at the expense of schooling are more likely to compel their children to do the same: for economic reasons, as well as due to the acquired expectation that turning their child into an earner is more important than giving them an education.

• Education and child labor are co-dependent challenges

Without access to quality and free education, many families and children themselves will view work as the better option – if the benefits of education aren’t obvious, or school tuition is not affordable. However, simply offering good education options is not enough to tackle all child labor problems. Economic incentives must be offered for children to stay in school instead of dropping out early, and awareness of the importance of education must be raised among all family members.

While child labor is a deeply entrenched, multidimensional problem that requires complex solution, one thing remains clear. As long as child labor exists, universal primary education cannot happen, and simultaneously, until all children have access to free and quality education, child labor will persist.

“Cutting ties with a non-compliant supplier can help a brand’s reputation, but will contribute little to the bigger picture, at AI, we aim to work together with brands, supplies, and NGOs to ensure education for children and secure their future.” – Sébastien Breteau, CEO, AsiaInspection.

1 http://globalmarch.org/sites/default/files/Policy-Paper.pdf

Business Actions to Eliminate Child Labour

160 million children are still subject to child labour today.

Children should be in school, not at work. No child should be deprived of a childhood, safety, health or education. Child labour has no place in our society, and companies have a duty to stop child labour. It is time to accelerate the pace of progress and for business to take practical actions to help eliminate child labour for good.

Ending child labour and all forms of forced and compulsory labour is integral to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. Our participating companies are committed to stopping these abuses, however, most companies have not yet moved beyond policy commitments to take concrete actions to end child labour and forced labour. A wide gap between business aspiration and business action persists. 

In 2021 - the international year for the elimination of child labour - the United Nations Global Compact took action to mobilize its business participants to renew and expand their efforts towards eradicating child labour and forced labour ( 2021 Action Pledge to Help End Child Labour ).

Central to this is our call to companies to step up their due diligence on human rights and to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for all adverse human rights impacts in their operations and value chains, which will help tackle child labour and forced labour. Making a real impact will require adopting a holistic approach and collaborating with all stakeholders. Your company can make a difference by taking action to end child labour for good. Read more about our pledge here.

What actions can business take?

Companies are sometimes indirectly involved in child labour — without even knowing it. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs ), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) are internationally agreed guidelines that can help businesses eliminate child labour. According to these guidelines, companies should carry out human rights due diligence in their supply chains to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address actual and potential adverse human rights impacts in their own operations, their supply chain and other business relationships, which will help tackle child labour and forced labour.

Companies of all sizes and from all sectors can take specific actions that contribute to ending child labour in their operations and supply chains. Supporting educational and apprenticeship programmes for the next generation and joining forces with other companies to ensure sustainable progress is made will be crucial to achieving impact at scale. Examples of possible actions include:

• Establish management procedures for introducing child labour due diligence in business operations
• Develop guidance on due diligence, remediation and monitoring, using best practice from a multi-stakeholder approach
• Comply with industry codes, local law or international standards — whichever provides the higher protection for children
• Establish an apprenticeship programme to reduce the rate of hazardous child labour in the 15–17 age group by offering a decent work alternative
• Join a multi-stakeholder initiative and/or an International Framework Agreement with one of the sectoral global unions
• Join the ILO Child Labour Platform
• Watch and share the call to action video here

Why should my company tackle child labour?

• The latest global estimates indicate that 160 million children – 63 million girls and 97 million boys — were in child labour globally at the beginning of 2020, accounting for almost one in ten of all children worldwide. This is an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years — with millions more at risk due to the impacts of COVID-19. Seventy-nine million children — nearly half of all those in child labour — were in hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety and moral development. This is a rise of 6.5 million since 2016.
• There is a significant rise in the number of children aged five to 11 years in child labour, who now account for just over half of the total global figure (55.8% or 89.3 million). Meanwhile, 35.6 million (22.3%) are 12 to 14 years old, and 35 million (21.9%) are 15 to 17 years old. 
• Sub-Saharan Africa stands out as the region with the highest prevalence and largest number of children in child labour (86.6 million), 26.3 million in Central and Southern Asia, 24.3 million in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 10.1 million in Northern Africa and Western Asia, 8.2 million in Latin America and the Caribbean and 3.8 million in Europe and Northern America. 
• In terms of prevalence, one in five children in Africa (21.6%) are in child labour (with 23.9% in Sub-Saharan Africa), 5.5% in Central and Southern Asia, 6.2% in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 7.8% in Northern Africa and Western Asia, 6.0% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 2.3% in Europe and Northern America.
• The agriculture sector accounts for 70% of children in child labour (112 million) followed by 20% in services (31.4 million) and 10 % in industry (16.5 million).
• Nearly 28% of children aged 5 to 11 years and 35% of children aged 12 to 14 years in child labour are out of school.
• Child labour is more prevalent among boys than girls at every age. When household chores performed for 21 hours or more each week are taken into account, the gender gap in child labour narrows.
• The prevalence of child labour in rural areas (14%) is close to three times higher than in urban areas (5%). Most children in child labour work within their own family unit (72.1%).
• Globally, nine million additional children are at risk of being pushed into child labour by the end of 2022 as a result of the pandemic. A simulation model shows this number could rise to 46 million if they don’t have access to critical social protection coverage. Child labour is very much related to poverty — in fact, the ILO and UNICEF report that a 1 percentage point rise in poverty leads to at least a 0.7 percentage point increase in child labour. Combating child labour helps to create more jobs and better wages for adults and thus also helps to alleviate poverty.

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Be Part of the Solution — How Your Business Can Help End Child Labor Child labor is a significant global problem, particularly in the developing world. Businesses big and small can be part of the solution by ensuring their supply chains are completely free of child labor.

By Craig Kielburger Edited by Micah Zimmerman Sep 2, 2024

Key Takeaways

• Addressing root causes like poverty and education is key to eradicating global child labor.
• Businesses of all sizes can take actionable steps to eliminate child labor in their supply chains.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

For many, Labor Day weekend marks the end of the summer season and one last long weekend to soak up the warm weather before getting the kids back to school and otherwise preparing for a busy fall.

Few of us pause to acknowledge the origin of Labor Day, a federal holiday created by Congress in 1894 to recognize and celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers and remind us of the need to protect the rights, health and safety of the workforce.

The need to protect workers' rights persists 130 years later, along with the need to re-focus on a problem that needs to be eradicated once and for all: the scourge of child labor.

It's a crisis I've been working to solve for nearly 30 years, beginning when I was 12 years old and launched a small children's charity that grew surprisingly large called Free The Children, which focussed on freeing enslaved children forced to work in factories in Pakistan and India.

Despite some progress over the years, the data on the number of children being deprived of an education and forced to put their physical and mental development at risk remains alarming.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are over 160 million children (those between 5 and 17) engaged in child labor. The numbers are highest in the least developed countries, with 23% of children in those countries forced into work.

The agriculture sector accounts for 70% of children in child labor (112 million), followed by 20% in services (31.4 million) and 10% in industry (16.5 million).

Unsurprisingly, there is a direct correlation between poverty and the prevalence of child labor. When Free the Children began its work in southeast Asia, we helped to physically remove children from the unsafe factories where they worked. But all too often, we would find the same kids back in the same factory a few weeks later because their families needed the income to survive.

We realized then that we needed a holistic approach focused on the root causes of child labor - poverty. But throwing money at the problem would not solve it. Poor community health, a lack of access to clean water and food coupled with poor education options and a lack of employment opportunities for adults all contribute to situations in which children working was seen as the only solution.

To break the cycle, all the root causes must be addressed simultaneously. Economic opportunity for parents means families don't have to rely on their children working. Direct access to healthy food and clean water means children don't have to spend their days walking dozens of miles to obtain drinking water and food. Proper healthcare ensures a healthy community in which adults can work, and children can attend school and thrive.

Related: How Masters of Marketing (Like You!) Can Help Fight Human Trafficking

Addressing these issues on a village-by-village basis helps to mitigate child labor on a micro level within communities. However, on a global, macro level, businesses play the biggest role in removing child labor from global supply chains.

The first step is acknowledging the problem and committing publicly to eliminating it. Global brands like IKEA and Costo have taken the lead in making such commitments.

IKEA has said that as global business it has a responsibility to demonstrate leadership by ensuring its own supply chain is free from child labor.

Costco has ramped up audits in countries that form part of its supply chain to ensure compliance with its Supplier Code of Conduct , which specifically prohibits child labor and only allows workers over the age of 18 to work in potentially hazardous conditions or with heavy machinery.

But it's not just billion-dollar companies that will be part of the solution. Companies of all sizes and sectors can do their part by taking concrete steps to help end child labor in their own operations and supply chains.

Related: 3 McDonald's Franchisees Fined for Child Labor Law Violations

Here are a few steps you can consider for your own business or organization:

• Become a member of the ILO's Child Labour Platform : Join other member companies like Coca-Cola, Chanel, Samsung and IKEA in their commitment to ending child labor. Members gain access to tools , events , workshops and partnerships with other businesses to help them identify, prevent and remediate child labor in their supply chains. Even if you don't formally join, the ILO website offers multiple resources to help educate and address child labor.
• Conduct a due diligence audit: These audits can help you understand where to look within your supply chain and what to watch for. If you make clothes, you can work to ensure that children do not pick the cotton you use. If you are in agriculture, you can conduct age verification audits or work to verify that children are not exposed to harmful pesticides .
• Hire young people into appropriate roles: There's nothing wrong with a 16-year-old getting their first job. In North America, that might be serving ice cream in a retail shop or checking tickets at the movie theatre. It's important to know the distinction between that kind of job for a younger person and child labor, which the ILO defines child labor as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.

Try to create roles at your company, like student internships or summer jobs, that allow younger people to save for college or buy a car in a safe environment doing age-appropriate work.

While these may seem like small steps, every impact helps in the global fight against the permanent elimination of child labor. As you enjoy the Labor Day holiday, consider going into fall by making a pledge for your company to be part of the solution.

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Social Entrepreneur and New York Times Bestselling Author

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John Swinney urged to back £40 a week Scottish Child Payment as coalition of campaigners demand action on poverty

The First Minister is under pressure to cut child poverty levels ahead of his Programme for Government statement today.

• 04:30, 4 SEP 2024

Over 100 campaign groups have urged John Swinney to throw poorer kids a lifeline by funding a £40 a week Scottish Child Payment .

The groups also want the SNP Government to back free travel for under 25s as well people on low incomes and disability benefits.

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It will be his first Programme for Government since succeeding Humza Yousaf and child poverty and the cost of living crisis are his priorities.

They wrote: “Too many people across Scotland, including 24% of our children, are having their life chances restricted by preventable poverty.

“The continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis have contributed to a rising tide of poverty as people struggle to access adequate incomes that would enable them to live a dignified life.”

They described poverty as a “breach” of human rights and added:

“Following your appointment as First Minister in May 2024, you confirmed eradicating child poverty as the single most important policy objective for your Government.

“We agree that this is the correct priority and share your belief in the need to use all of the powers at your Government’s disposal to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives.

“This belief and commitment must be embedded into the forthcoming Programme for Government with tangible actions and clear timescales for implementation. We know that people living in poverty cannot wait, and the time for action is now.”

The letter made five asks, with the most notable being a call to increase the SCP for low income families from £26.75 a week for every child to £40.

The coalition of groups also demanded funding for new social homes against the backdrop of rising homelessness.

They also want to expand concessionary travel to the under 25s and to people on benefits.

Universal free school breakfasts and lunches provision for all pupils was also included on the list.

Scottish politics

They also backed “fair and sustainable funding” for third sector groups, many of which provide services to vulnerable people.

The letter added: “Working together to realise these policy objectives will provide a lifeline to families who are struggling to stay afloat, helping to build a country where poverty is a thing of the past.”

Groups that backed the letter include Shelter Scotland, Oxfam Scotland, Barnardo's and Amnesty International.

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