Definition of Child Labor
Child labor is defined as work that denies children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity. Child labor is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children. It prevents them from attending school; whether by obliging them to leave the school prematurely or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with extremely long and heavy work.
Worst Forms of Child Labour
The worst forms of child labor are being enslaved, separated from their families, and exposed to serious hazards and illnesses, including many other forms such as;
- Sale and trafficking of children.
- Forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
- Abusing children for prostitution.
- Using children for illicit activities.
- Forcing children for producing and trafficking drugs.
Forced Child Labour
Due to the ongoing conflicts over the years, many children have lost one or both of their parents and became under the sponsorship of strangers or relatives.
Unfortunately, those in charge of those children have forced them into child labor to benefit from whatever these children can offer to them.
Global Estimates of Child Labor
The latest global estimates indicate that the number of children in child labor has increased to 160 million worldwide an 8.4 million children in the last four years. 63 million girls and 97 million boys were in child labor globally at the beginning of 2020, according to almost 1/10 of all children worldwide.
Child labor — boys in child labor outnumber girls by 34 million. 11.2% of all boys compared to 7.8% of all girls.
Causes of Child Labour
Worldwide, the causes of child labor are basically the same. Wars, armed conflicts, and crises have overstrained communities globally, causing mass migrations, poverty, and many other crises.
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Poverty
Poverty is one of the most essential causes of child labor. Children who were born in poverty, for any reason, grow as unskilled workers and find themselves forced to child labor to survive with their families.
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Crises
Through the last decade; many crises took place worldwide; Economic crises, natural disasters, armed conflicts in many countries in the world, along with the mass migration caused by it, comes COVID-19 at the top of it all, making millions of people around the world fall victims to all these crises.
And the most vulnerable victims in all those circumstances are the children who found themselves obliged to child labor.
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Conflicts & Mass Migration
Armed conflicts have affected schools and schooling, leaving no option for children in the conflict regions to attend schools and learn.
Due to those conflicts, millions of families were obliged to leave their homes and move elsewhere, in a form of mass migration worldwide.
As families are struggling for life, all family members found themselves obliged to work in order to have the essential needs of living, having no option but to send their children to work instead of schools.
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Lack of Access to Quality Education
The lack of funding to sponsor the educational projects supported by organizations puts the educational process in remission in many regions. Going to schools is no longer an option in-hands for millions of children worldwide, especially in conflict regions.
With millions of displaced and poor families, finding a school to enroll their children in has become like a dream.
Effects of Child Labour
Children who fall victim to child labor are suffering major psychological, mental, and physical issues. Forced to deal with massively hard work in many sectors.
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Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the most dangerous sectors to work in at any age. It is more dangerous for children. However, nearly 60% of all child laborers work in agriculture, that is 98 million. Children who work in agriculture are working unpaid with their families.
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Mining
Mining is one of the worst forms of child labor. Children as young as four worked long hours in mines in dangerous, often fatal conditions. Children who work as miners are forced to use their hands and tools to collect raw materials and extract the metal. Therefore, mining can permanently damage a growing child’s bones and muscles.
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Construction
Children who are working in construction are forced to deal with all types of construction for long hours, causing them a variety of pain; physical, mental, and emotional pain.
construction types like;
- Alteration.
- Conversion.
- Fitting-out.
- Commissioning.
- Renovation.
- Repair.
- Maintenance and refurbishment.
- Demolition, decommissioning, or dismantling of a structure.
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Domestic Work
Domestic work is one of child labor, where children are sent to houses to do house work, such as; cleaning the house, washing and Ironing clothes, gardening, cooking, and other things. It is usually done by children below the legal work-age for long hours, although it is considered less harmful than the other types of work. However, little girls cannot be safe serving in strangers’ houses. Unfortunately, sexual abuse is still a strong possibility.
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Factory
Working in factories is a severe job., through which children are forced to work for long hours, under a lot of physical and emotional pain, and for a low wage.
The Disadvantage of Child Labour
Child labor has many serious danger and disadvantages on children’s lives; it can lead to extreme physical and mental harm and put children through some severe emotional difficulties, which can lead even to death.
Child labor refrains children from schooling and health care, restricting their fundamental rights and threatening their futures.
Effects of child labour on Society
Victims of child labor usually suffer from depression and anxiety, pushing them to destructive habits like smoking, alcoholism, or drug abuse. Abusive abusive environments also trigger a lifetime of low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties.
Walking over child labor, like it’s nothing, we will be destroying our future communities because those children are part of our community today, as much as tomorrow. So instead of making our society vulnerable with such a generation to lead, let us handle this matter now and prepare these children to participate positively in our community in the future.
What is Child Labour Reform
Many organizations today are taking initiatives to increase educational awareness worldwide. The key to uprooting child labor is to educate those children.
Donations to organizations in charge to help them fund and sponsor the educational projects, and building schools in the conflict regions, can help massively in protecting these children, and empower them by helping them learn and know their rights to help protect themselves as well.
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FAQ
What is Meant by Child Labor?
Child labor is defined as work that denies children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity.
What are The Causes of Child Labor?
Poverty, crises, conflicts, mass migration, and lack of access to quality education.
What are The Examples of Child Labor?
An example of child labor examples is domestic work, where children, mostly girls, are sent to houses to do house working, where there is a high chance that young girls will be subjected to physical or sexual abuse, in addition to the physical pain due to working for long hours in the service of the house and its residents.
What are The Problems of Child Labor?
Psychological and physical damage.
Deprivation of education.
Sexual exploitation.
Child marriage.
Begging and gangs that exploit children.
What are the effects of child labor?
The effects of child labor are many. The children who work in factories, mines, or farms are often deprived of their childhoods. They are denied an education and forced to work long hours in unsafe conditions for a pittance, often with little or no pay at all
what are 10 causes of child labor?
The 10 causes of child labor is:
1) Poverty – Poverty is one of the most common causes of child labor. Children are often forced to work in order to help their families make ends meet.
2) Unemployment – When parents can’t find work, they often turn to send their children out to find work instead. This leaves them vulnerable to exploitation by employers who know they will have no choice but to accept any job available.
3) Lack of Education – Children need an education in order to be successful in the future, but many can’t afford it and are forced into child labor instead.
What is child labor?
Child labor is defined as work that denies children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity. Child labor is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children.