Child labor, as defined by the ILO conventions 182 Article 2, pertains to any youth under the age of eighteen. Majority of child labor marginalize children between the ages of five to seventeen. Child labor continues to be a development concern due to its instigation of poverty. The children of developing nations are forced to work with low paying wages, denying them a right to their education and further lowering literacy in the country. Jobs for adults are outsourced because of the abundance of children working for much cheaper and under worst conditions.
The issue exists due to a country’s economic and social condition, that forces a constant cycle. In Bangladesh particularly, a nation in its industrial stage of demographic transition, holds a widely accepted value for child labor. As majority of the social class are more rural, the poorer families tend to have more children due to survival of the fittest. The families believe the more children they have, the more money they will earn due to labor. Children generate income for the families that make them a valuable asset for the survival of families. Parents become dependent on their children as employers tend to hire the youth more. Employers receive a benefit from employing children as they are more abundant and cheaper to work with. Children are more obedient in the tasks they are given and better comply to orders. The global trade system demands cheaply manufactured goods. Therefore, suppliers hire the cheapest available labor, in which most cases are children, who work for lower than minimum wage or even free. It is important to address child labor because children are unable to receive a full time education. …show more content…
Their futures are jeopardized as well as their health. In most cases the conditions of these factories impede health standards. Children are exposed to disease and violence. They are exploited for their labor, impacting their emotional development. They are denied their basic human rights of education, health, recreation, and are placed in the most vulnerable situations.
In Bangladesh, the country’s economy is run on the garment industry. Becoming the largest source of exports earnings, and in the top ten for garment exports, it is also the largest employer of child labor. The industry boosted the economy and created more opportunities of employment in urban areas. This lead to an increase demand for child laborers, majority of them being girls. Children in this industry are forced to work long working hours, ranging from 10 hours a day for approximately 12 U.S dollars a month. Girls as young as the age of thirteen work 11 hours a day to produce export clothing to the global market. These children are also exposed to horrible working conditions. The violation of health and safety standards impede upon the human rights of these children. Garment industries are continually at risk of fires because of blocking fire exits with no proper precautions, and poor regulation of crowds. The children are exposed to hazardous chemicals and are at risk of physical injuries from heavy machinery that are not properly managed. This impacts the children from minor injuries such as cuts and bruises to greater disorders such as in their musculoskeletal order. Majority of the child laborers in Bangladesh are employed in the informal sectors. In this, the labor is much more difficult to regulate. Commonly in rural regions the children are placed in works of agriculture, and domestic service for the urban elite. The ones in the agricultural business, which include poultry farming, fish drying, shrimp farming, and crop rotations, are exposed to hazardous conditions. Without proper training they are free to use the dangerous tools around them, forced to carry heavy loads that could cause injury to their spines, and apply harmful pesticides that expose them to toxins. These child laborers within the agricultural industry are mostly employed by their families who need the extra work force in the fields. Children are forced to work long hours with little to no pay, these families are more poorer and cannot afford any other form of labor. The farmers in Bangladesh are not given fair pay for their crops such as coffee, cocoa, or cotton and therefore cannot afford fees for their child’s schooling. This compels the children to work and fend for the
The issue exists due to a country’s economic and social condition, that forces a constant cycle. In Bangladesh particularly, a nation in its industrial stage of demographic transition, holds a widely accepted value for child labor. As majority of the social class are more rural, the poorer families tend to have more children due to survival of the fittest. The families believe the more children they have, the more money they will earn due to labor. Children generate income for the families that make them a valuable asset for the survival of families. Parents become dependent on their children as employers tend to hire the youth more. Employers receive a benefit from employing children as they are more abundant and cheaper to work with. Children are more obedient in the tasks they are given and better comply to orders. The global trade system demands cheaply manufactured goods. Therefore, suppliers hire the cheapest available labor, in which most cases are children, who work for lower than minimum wage or even free. It is important to address child labor because children are unable to receive a full time education. …show more content…
Their futures are jeopardized as well as their health. In most cases the conditions of these factories impede health standards. Children are exposed to disease and violence. They are exploited for their labor, impacting their emotional development. They are denied their basic human rights of education, health, recreation, and are placed in the most vulnerable situations.
In Bangladesh, the country’s economy is run on the garment industry. Becoming the largest source of exports earnings, and in the top ten for garment exports, it is also the largest employer of child labor. The industry boosted the economy and created more opportunities of employment in urban areas. This lead to an increase demand for child laborers, majority of them being girls. Children in this industry are forced to work long working hours, ranging from 10 hours a day for approximately 12 U.S dollars a month. Girls as young as the age of thirteen work 11 hours a day to produce export clothing to the global market. These children are also exposed to horrible working conditions. The violation of health and safety standards impede upon the human rights of these children. Garment industries are continually at risk of fires because of blocking fire exits with no proper precautions, and poor regulation of crowds. The children are exposed to hazardous chemicals and are at risk of physical injuries from heavy machinery that are not properly managed. This impacts the children from minor injuries such as cuts and bruises to greater disorders such as in their musculoskeletal order. Majority of the child laborers in Bangladesh are employed in the informal sectors. In this, the labor is much more difficult to regulate. Commonly in rural regions the children are placed in works of agriculture, and domestic service for the urban elite. The ones in the agricultural business, which include poultry farming, fish drying, shrimp farming, and crop rotations, are exposed to hazardous conditions. Without proper training they are free to use the dangerous tools around them, forced to carry heavy loads that could cause injury to their spines, and apply harmful pesticides that expose them to toxins. These child laborers within the agricultural industry are mostly employed by their families who need the extra work force in the fields. Children are forced to work long hours with little to no pay, these families are more poorer and cannot afford any other form of labor. The farmers in Bangladesh are not given fair pay for their crops such as coffee, cocoa, or cotton and therefore cannot afford fees for their child’s schooling. This compels the children to work and fend for the