Child+Labour



**__Global Classrooms Topic: Child __****__ Labour __**


 * __What is Child Labour? __**

//UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund) defines child labour as **excessive** and therefore **harmful amounts of work** of any kind—both physical and other—by young children. The specific definitions of child labour depend on the age of the child. //

For ages 5-11, it is at least 1 hour of **economic work** or 28 hours of **domestic work** per week. For ages 12-14, it is at least 14 hours of economic work or 28 hours of domestic per week. For ages 15-17, it is at least 43 hours of economic or domestic work per week.

But most importantly, child labour //prevents children from **developing** **physically, mentally,** and **emotionally** as well as from getting a proper education.// It is for this reason that the United Nations and countries around the world are fighting to eliminate it completely.


 * __Basic Information __**

Approximately 215 million children in countries all over the world are made to work in **excessive amounts** and **substandard conditions.** Today, the most common sectors that child labourers are used in are **agriculture, mining,** and **domestic work** in underdeveloped countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. This, of course, was not always the case; during and shortly after the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, factory child labour was **widespread** in countries like the United States, England, and other Western European nations who used child labour as a quick means to achieve the goal industrial development.

Although child labour problems are concentrated in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, abuses are committed all around the world, with children of all ages labouring on banana plantations in Ecuador, in cotton fields in Mexico, in mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on farms in the United States, and in sweat shops in India. Child labour is a truly international problem.


 * __How Does Excessive Labour Negatively Affect Children? __**

The negative effects of child labour can be divided three basic areas of **negative effects** : emotional, mental, and physical.

__Emotional Effects __

Child labourers are often the victims of **verbal and emotional abuse** by their **bosses**, who might insult them, yell at them, or manipulate their feelings by **threatening** them.

__<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mental Effects __

<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Children who work for an excessive number of hours per day and days per week do not have time or are too tired go to school or get an education. Their **mental and educational development** is therefore **stunted**. Many children who are victims of child labor do not even know how to read. Not only is this unfair to them now, but it also makes it very hard to improve their situation and fulfill their dreams for the future.

__<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Physical Effects __

<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Child labourers usually work in **appalling conditions** where few or no **safety measures** are used. Children are often badly **injured** or die from accidents with sharp tools. They are also sometimes **exposed to** toxic chemicals or have to carry very **heavy loads** that harm their growth. They usually do not have proper bathrooms and work close together, two things that encourage the **spread of diseases**. Lastly, they are often subject to **physical abuse** by their bosses or each other.


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What Do Children Get for Their Work and Why Do They Do It? __**

<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Child labourers usually get paid very little—sometimes in money and sometimes only in food. Some children are **forced** to work because the little amount of money or food will help their family survive. Others choose to work because they feel they must contribute to and help their family. Some cultures see child work as a natural and necessary part of growing up. <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Many countries have laws to prevent unfair conditions for children in the labour world, but they are often not enforced because child labour can be difficult to keep track of and because it helps developing countries progress in a cheap, faster way.


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">International Collaboration __**

<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The United Nations sees child labour as one of the most serious global problems. Among many others, two international organizations that are active in the fight against this phenomenon are UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund) and the ILO (The International Labour Organisation).


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Your Research and Solutions __**

<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the most important things to think about when you are researching is how the UN can solve the problem of child labour while respecting the **national sovereignty** of each member state. Think about how to eliminate child labor while respecting each country’s laws, how to asses and evaluate child labor in each country, and how to offer working children protection and education.


 * __<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Questions to Consider: __**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why does child labour exist more in some parts of the world than others? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Is child labour a big problem in your country? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How is gender related to child labor? Are there more girl or boy child labourers in your country and do they work in different sectors? Why? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are there certain types of jobs that children should or should not have? Why? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How can you encourage children to go to school? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What is the good balance between work and school for a child? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">7. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How can you help the families of the child labourers when the children stop working? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">8. ****<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What kinds organizations should be used to fight child labor? **

<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">Information from []<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">, []<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style',serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;"> http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ruh0O_mj1v0, and [|www. ilo. org/ ipec/]



By using the following sources you will be able to learn about this topic and obtain useful information that you are going to need to research about your countries position.

Child labour on wikipedia

Child labour

Unicef

Free the children

Anti-slavery society

Time for kids



<span class="wiki_link_ext">Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment Toolkit

<span class="wiki_link_ext">Unicef publications:
 * <span class="wiki_link_ext">[|Beyond Child Labour, Affirming Rights]
 * <span class="wiki_link_ext">Child Protection Information Sheets
 * Profiting from abuse
 * <span class="wiki_link_ext">We the Children

Trabajo Infantil un manual para estudiantes pdf