Child Labour Across The World

 Child labour is a pervasive and complex issue that affects millions of children across the world. It is the act of subjecting under-aged children to prolonged hard labours, violating their rights, hindering their education, health, and overall development and welfare. Despite efforts to eradicate it, child labour is still on the prowl, constituting a significant challenge to humanity. Child labour is still a harsh reality in many parts of the world today. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), approximately 160 million children are engaged in child labour across the world, with 69 million being girls, and 97 million being boys. This number has even increased in recent years, with about 8.4 million more children in child labour compared with 2016. 

The causes of child labour include the following:

1. Poverty: 

Families languishing in poverty may rely on their tender children's income to survive, forcing them to work instead of attending school. 

2. Lack of education: 

Inadequate access to education, particularly in rural areas, can lead to children entering the workforce at a young age. 

3. Cultural and social norms:

In some cultures, child labour is seen as a normal way of life. To them, children are expected to work hard to contribute immensely to the family income, even when their overall development is lagging behind, and not taken care of. 

4. Conflicts and displacement:

Children in conflict or war zones may be forced to work to support themselves and their families. In fact, they may die if they refuse to work. Hunger kills displaced people more than weapons. 

5. Government policies and laws: 

Weak enforcement of anti-child labour laws and inadequate policies have perpetuated child labour.

The scope of child labour across the world beats the labyrinth of man's imagination. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), approximately 160 million children worldwide are engaged in child labour, with:

1. 69 million girls: 

Girls are more likely to be engaged in domestic works, while boys are more likely to work in agricultural fields and industry.

2. 97 million boys:

Boys are more likely to be engaged in hazardous works, such as mining of in-ground minerals and construction. 

3. 86.6 million in sub-Saharan Africa:

This region, no doubt, has the highest number of child labourers in the world.

4. Latin America and the Caribbeans: 

This region has seen a geometric increase in child labour, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Child labour operates mostly in the following sectors:

1. Agriculture: 

Approximately 70% of child labourers work in agricultural fields, including farming and livestock herding.

2. Services:

20% of child labourers work in services, including domestic chores.

3. Industry:

10% of child labourers work in industry, including manufacturing and mining sectors. 

Impact of child labour are so much. It has severe consequences for children's physical, emotional, and psychological well-beings, including:

1. Health risks: 

Children are exposed to hazardous working conditions with meagre and often short-changed wages, leading to injuries, illnesses, and even deaths. For example, before the advent of Industrial Revolution, English industrialists coerced young children into working in manufacturing plants at the chimneys which spewed so much smoke and poisonous gases. In the process, several, several hundreds of children (black and white) died of respiratory diseases, chiefly bronchitis and asthma. Others suffered from stunted growth due to malnutrition and physical exhaustion. It was as bad as that!

2. Education deprivation:

Child labour deprives children of their right to education, hindering their future prospects, opportunities, and securities.

3. Emotional trauma:

Children may experience emotional trauma, stress, and anxiety due to the physical and psychological demands of work.

4. Social isolation:

Child labour can lead to social isolation, as children are often forced to work for prolonged hours, leaving little or no time for recreation and social interactions.

Child labour intervention and remedial measures (To combat child labour, national and regional governments, organizations, and individuals should work in cohesion to:

1. Strengthen labour laws and enforcement:

National and regional governments should promulgate and establish proactive laws and enforce them to prevent child labour. 

2. Improve access to education:

Governments and organizations should invest in education infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, to provide children with access to quality education and inclusion.

3. Provide alternative livelihoods: 

Governments and organizations should provide alternative livelihoods for families, enabling them to support themselves without relying on child labour.

4. Raise awareness: 

Public awareness campaigns can help to educate communities about the dangers of child labour and the importance of education and inclusivity.

5. Support rehabilitation programmes:

Governments and organizations should support rehabilitation programmes for child labourers, providing them with quality education, healthcare delivery services, and vocational training.

Child labour has been a persistent issue throughout history, affecting all regions and latitudes of the world. Here are some historical examples of child labour:

1. Textile mills in Britain (18th-19th centuries):

Children as young as 6 years old worked in textile mills, often for 12-16 hours daily, in very hazardous conditions.

2. Coal mines in the United States (19th-20th centuries):

Children, some as young as 8 years old, worked in coal mines, without formal training and protection equipment, facing hazardous conditions for long hours, for meagre wages which were many times short-changed.

3. Agricultural labour in the United States (early 20th century):

Children, particularly migrants workers' children, worked for long hours daily in agricultural fields, exposed to harsh weather conditions and pesticides.

4. Factory workers in Canada (late 19th-early 20th centuries):

Children worked in factories, often in very hazardous conditions, with stretching hours and low wages. 

5. China: 

Child labour was commonplace in China's textile, mining, and construction industries, dating back to the Qing Dynasty which lasted between 1644 and 1912.

6. India: 

Child labour was practised widely everywhere in India's textile, agriculture, mining, and construction industries, particularly during the British colonial era (1858-1947).

7. Japan:

Child labour was prevalent in Japan's textile, mining, and construction industries during the Meiji era of 1868-1912.

8. Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines etc):

Child labour was common in Southeast Asia before and after the advent of Industrial Revolution. Child labour was used in Southeast Asia's agriculture, mining, fishing, and construction industries and other sectors. Before Industrial Revolution, child labour was used everywhere. The ugly spate of child labour was perpetuated by poverty, lack of education, and the need for families to supplement their income. Children were used as cheap labour, and their wages were not always paid. Neither were their welfare taken into consideration by those Shylock industry owners. The advent of the Industrial Revolution brought new machinery and technologies that even unexpectedly increased the demand for child labour instead of abating it, exacerbating the problems for the children. It wasn't until the 19th and early 20th centuries that laws and regulations were put in place to protect children from exploitation, and ensure their right to quality education and a safe childhood. Even after the Industrial Revolution, child labour still continued till today.

In summary, child labour is a complex and pervasive issue that requires capacity-building approach to address. By understanding the causes, scope, and impact of child labour, we can work towards preventing it and providing support to those who are affected. It is essential that Governments and organizations collaborate to enact proactive labour laws, improve access to education, provide alternative livelihoods, raise awareness, and support rehabilitation programmes. By so doing, we can create a world where children are free to learn, grow, and thrive, without the yoke of child labour upon them any longer.

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