Question

Child labor is a hot and controversial issue. Provide your arguments in favor of or against child labor. Please take into consideration the social, economic, political, and factors involved about this issue. Do not hesitate to present steps to prevent it in all its forms or avoid abuse of it if necessary. Also, your response must be balanced and informative?

Answer 1

CHILD LABOR is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical-mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children, and interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school, obliging them to leave school prematurely or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

Child labour exists because:

1.people accept it and invent excuses for it;

2.children’s rights are not respected;

3.governments do not provide compulsory, free and accessible education;

4.international agreements and conventions are not observed;

5.the education system excludes poor and vulnerable children;

6.consumers worldwide demand cheap products;

7.employers can benefit from cheap labour;

8.there is no decent work for adults.

Child labour in the world:

The phenomenon of child labour, which is a consequence of the exploitative systems operating at the national and international levels, not only closes the future of millions of children in the third world countries but it also restricts the developmental prospects of these countries drastically. The existence of child labour is a threat to a overall world development and to the solidarity and peace in the world. Eradication of child labour from the world is therefore a goal which must be achieved at the earliest.

SOLUTION FOR CHILD LABOR

1.Educate yourself.
Use resources such as those suggested here, and then share what you learn with friends, family, co-workers, and others, and work together to increase your “voting” power.

2. Contact retail stores, manufacturers, and importers.
Kindly ask them questions about the origins of their products. Let them know you want to buy products that don’t involve child labor, and give them suggestions for ethical products and services they can offer instead.

3.Buy fair trade and sweatshop-free products whenever possible.

4.Grow more of your own food.

5.Contact local, regional, and national legislators.
Ask them to pass laws that ensure no products in your city/state/country are made with child labor, and encourage them to adopt “codes of conduct” which include concern for humane, sustainable, just practices.

6.Contact businesses that do business in countries that have child labor.
Encourage them to put pressure on government officials to take appropriate action and on businesses that use child labor to use sustainable, fair-trade practices.

7.Educate others.
Give presentations to schools, communities of faith, nonprofits, and other groups to educate them about child labor issues and encourage positive action.

CONCLUSION

Child labour is a global problem that requires a global solution. In India, Africa and Latin America, local authorities, teachers, employers, parents and children in child labour free zones work together to get children out of work and into school. They are all convinced that no child should be working: every child should be in school. These child labour free zones are successful and are continuing to spread to other areas and countries.

But real change requires more. This is why we callon governments, businesses and consumers worldwide to shoulder their responsibility. And work together towards a child labour free world.