Associated Press. (1996, November 12). World riding to prosperity on backs of child laborers. The Daily Oklahoman, pp. 13, 15.

OVERVIEW

According to the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO), "250 million children ages 5 to 14 are employed—half of them full time—up sharply from earlier estimates of 73 million full time child workers." The new statistics are based on thorough, worldwide surveys and interviews. Official statistics comprised the original, lower estimates.

Breaking down the figures, 153 million working children live in Asia, 80 million in Africa, and 17.5 in Latin America. The ILO report urges global prohibition of the worst types of child labor: "slavery, prostitution, and work in hazardous industries." Michel Hansenne, ILO General Director, asserts that "child labor only perpetuates an endless cycle of illiteracy and poverty."

Within its report, ILO found that

• Slavery or child bondage still occurs in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Africa. "Children are either sold outright, or rural families are paid in advance by ‘contractors’ who take children away to work in carpet weaving, glass manufacturing or prostitution."
• Some industries expose child workers to pesticide poisoning and lung diseases, or even cripple their maturing bodies by making them carry heavy loads.
• In Sri Lanka, more children die from pesticide poisoning than from malaria, tetanus, and whooping cough combined.
• In Egypt, the Philippines, and Turkey, children are exposed to dust and fumes in repair shops, woodwork factories, and construction sites.
• In glass factories, children are often forced to drag heavy bags of molten glass from glowing furnaces amid noise levels that could cause deafness. Children even three years old work in match factories where they are exposed to dust, asbestos, and other hazardous fumes.
• In Indonesia, including 400,000 in Jakarta, there are approximately 5 million child domestic servants.

Hansenne contends:

‘We all know that…many efforts over the years will be required to eliminate it completely…But there are some forms which are intolerable by any standard. These deserve to be identified, exposed, and eradicated without further delay.’

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. How far away are these problems from you? Can you do anything about these issues, even if they are occurring thousands of miles away? What can you do?
2. Does this constitute child abuse? Is it any different from typical, yet horrifying child abuse situations that most Americans know about? Why or why not?
3. Is it helpful or harmful for young people not experiencing these labors to know about these ongoings? Explain.
4. How can harsh child labor be ‘eradicated without further delay’?

IMPLICATIONS

1. The differences between cultures around the world is vast. While it is often fascinating to compare cultures, it is also sometimes disturbing.
2. Bringing the dark of child labor to light is key to eradication.
3. Child labor greatly inhibits a young person’s chances to become educated and lead a fulfilling life.
4. Poverty breeds this type of labor market. Improving the economic situations of the world’s poorest regions is a powerful weapon against child labor. Education and skill training is key to improving the economic situation of many regions.