CHILD LABOR

Michele PennalaMackenzie HillmanMichelle MonteroSamantha Xu

Religion-Peace and Justice / Block E

Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful

According to the most recent statistics, there are approximately 115 million children currently employed in hazardous work.

CHILD LABOR BACKGROUND

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R Children have higher rates of injury

and death at work than adults, as shown by data from industrialized countries.

Although less than one-third of younger children in employment (those aged 5–14) are now in hazardous work, almost half of all children aged 15–17 who are employed perform hazardous work.

Hazardous work is increasing among older children, aged 15–17. Within four years (2004–08), it jumped 20%– from 52 million to 62 million.

Violates a nation’s minimum age laws

Threatens children’s physical, mental, or emotional well-being

Involves intolerable abuse, such as child slavery and child traffi cking

Prevents children from going to school

Uses children to undermine labor standards

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILD LABOR

Of an estimated 215 child laborers around the globe: approximately 114 million (53%) are in Asia and the Pacific; 14 million (7%) live in Latin America; and 65 million (30%) live in sub-Saharan Africa.

WHERE DOES MOST CHILD LABOR OCCUR?

Asia/Pa-cific; 53%

Latin America;

7%

Sub-Saha-ran Africa;

30%

An estimated 60% of child labor occurs in the agriculture, fishing, hunting, and forestry industries.

About 14 million children are estimated to be directly involved in manufacturing goods.

Child laborers suff er 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.

CHILD LABOR INDUSTRIES

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Many children, especially girls, work in domestic service, sometimes starting as young as 5 or 6. This type of child labor is linked to child traffi cking. Domestic child laborers can be victims of physical, emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse.

All human being are born free and equal in dignity and rights

No human being shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

All human beings have the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family.

CHILD LABOR AND THE VIOLATION OF RIGHTS

Our duty is to protect these chi ldren and put an end to the terrible condit ions of chi ld labor. These chi ldren have a r ight to be raised in a posit ive environment, and we must work to ensure that these kids are treated fair ly and taken care of.

OUR RESPONSIBILIT

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The ILO’s International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the progressive elimination of child labor, which was to be achieved through strengthening the capacity of countries to deal with the problem and promoting a worldwide movement to combat child labor.

IPEC currently has operations in 88 countries, with an annual expenditure on technical cooperation projects that reached over US$61 million in 2008. It is the largest program of its kind globally and the biggest single operational program of the ILO.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM ON THE ELIMINATION OF CHILD LABOR (IPEC)

All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and traffi cking of children,

Debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed confl ict

The use, procuring or off ering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances

The use, procuring or off ering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and traffi cking of drugs as defi ned in the relevant international treaties

Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

TARGET AREAS OF THE IPEC

Since it began operations in 1992, IPEC has worked to stop child labor in several ways: through country-based programs which promote policy reform; by building institutional capacity and putting in place concrete measures to end child labor; and through awareness raising and mobilization intended to change social attitudes and promote ratification and eff ective implementation of ILO Child Labor Conventions.

AGAINST THE CHILD LABOR

Raise awareness and educate people through posters and pamphlets that bring attention to the injustice of child labor and encourage people to take a stand against this violation of human dignity

Make movies and PowerPoints explaining the work of the IPEC and how it works to stop child labor and protect the rights of these children

Hold a letter-writing campaign to urge government offi cials to include this organization in tax funds in order to raise awareness and money for the IPEC, which would then be used to help end child labor

WHAT CAN WE DO?