Child labour takes many forms, all of them exploitative. Child labour will frequently deprive a child of his or her right to security, freedom, physical and mental health, education, personal development and play.
In order to correctly identify and fight the terrible reality of child labour, humanitarian organisations such as World Vision define it as:
- labour performed by a child who is underage, according to their state's legislation
- labour that exceeds a maximum number of hours allowed
- labour that is likely to interfere with a child’s education or development
- labour that is ‘hazardous' in nature and could jeopardise the physical, mental or moral wellbeing of a child
Not all work that children do is child labour
There is an important distinction to be made between a child being forced into labour and a child's willing participation in work.
Helping with the housework or in the family business, or earning pocket money during school holidays are all positive steps in a child's development. These forms of work provide children with valuable skills and experience. The work done by a child is not considered labour if it doesn't harm their health, interrupt their education or hinder their personal development.
How widespread is child labour?
The International Labour Organization’s 2006 Global Report estimates that 217.7 million children aged between 5 and 17 are engaged in child labour worldwide. Of these, around 126 million are in the 'worst forms of child labour' category.
In the Asia Pacific region, there are approximately 122 million working children. Around 63 million children are currently labouring in sub-Saharan Africa doing heavy agricultural work such as cocoa farming.
The worst forms of child labour
The International Labour Organization states that all child labour is wrong, but there are some forms of labour that, if carried out by persons under 18, are considered particularly heinous. These include:
- slavery or slavery-like practices (the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage, forced labour and armed conflict)
- work that involves sexual exploitation
- the production and trafficking of drugs
- other hazardous work
Alarmingly, the number of those who are participating in these worst forms is more than half of all child labourers!