Child Labor around the world and the companies

that use them

By.Siobhan Mobley

&Hally Elijah Wilson

What is Child Labor?

• Child labor is work that harms children or keeps them from attending school. Around the world and in the U. S., growing gaps between rich and poor in recent decades have forced millions of young children out of school and into work. The International Labor Organization estimates that 215 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 currently work under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative. Underage children work all sorts of jobs around the world, usually because they and their families are extremely poor. Large numbers of children work in commercial agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, and domestic service. Some children work in illicit activities like the drug trade and prostitution or other traumatic activities such as serving as soldiers.

Agriculture

• An estimated 60% of child labor occurs in agriculture, fishing, hunting, and forestry. Children have been found harvesting:• bananas in Ecuador• cotton in Egypt and Benin• cut flowers in Colombia• oranges in Brazil• cocoa in the Ivory Coast• tea in Argentina and Bangladesh• fruits and vegetables in the U.S.

Manufacturing

• About 14 million children are estimated to be directly involved in manufacturing goods, including:• Carpets from India, Pakistan, Egypt• Clothing sewn in Bangladesh; footwear made in India and the

Philippines• Soccer balls sewn in Pakistan• Glass and bricks made in India• Fireworks made in China, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador,

Guatemala, India, and Peru• Surgical instruments made in Pakistan

Mining and Quarrying

Child laborers suffer extremely high illness and injury rates in underground mines, opencast mines, and quarries. Children as young as 6 or 7 years old break up rocks, and wash, sieve, and carry ore. Nine-year-olds work underground setting explosives and carrying loads. Children work in a range of mining operations, including:•Gold in Colombia•Charcoal in Brazil and El Salvador•Chrome in Zimbabwe•Diamonds in Cote d’Ivoire•Emeralds in Colombia•Coal in Mongolia

Child Labor in the clothing industry

Companies that use child labor include several popular brands such as :Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21, Gap, Urban Outfitters, Hollister, Hanes

Child Labor: 11 year-old Halima sews clothing for Hanes

Map

Why does it exist?• Barriers to education – basic education is not free in all countries and

is not always available for all children, especially in remote rural areas. Where schools are available, the quality of education can be poor and the content not relevant. In situations where education is not affordable or parents see no value in education, children are sent to work, rather than to school.• Culture and tradition – with few opportunities open to children with

more education, parents are likely to share a cultural norm in which labour is seen as the most productive use of a child’s time. Children are often expected to follow in their parents’ footsteps and are frequently summoned to “help” other members of the family, often at a young age.

Why does it exist? Cont..

• Market demand – child labor is not accidental. Employers may prefer to hire children because they are “cheaper” than their adult counterparts, can be dispensed of easily if labor demands fluctuate and also form a docile, obedient work-force that will not seek to organize itself for protection and support.• Inadequate/poor enforcement of legislation and policies to protect

children – child labor persists when national laws and policies to protect children are lacking or are not effectively implemented.

How we can stop it?

• Unions and grassroots groups are increasingly recognizing direct connections between worker rights and the fight against child labor. Recognizing child labor as a violation of children's and workers' rights, trade unions are joining with families and community organizations to combat child labor, to move children out of work and into school, and to support core labor standards.• Many workers and unions in the U.S. and other countries are

supporting efforts to end child labor by forging alliances with unions in other countries. These alliances work to achieve enforceable global labor standards, such as ILO Convention 182, and hold transnational companies accountable for labor practices.

Works Cited

• "Child Labor: 11 Year-old Halima Sews Clothing for Hanes." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTIfY9SmJdA>.

• "Causes of Child Labor." - The Child Labor Education Project. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. <https://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/causes.html>.

• "Special Reports: Child Labor Around the World." Special Reports: Child Labor Around the World. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. <http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/labor/labor_force.htm>.

• "Fact Sheet Child Labour - Focus on the Role of Buying Companies." — SOMO. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. <http://somo.nl/publications-en/Publication_4058>.