Child Labor Why does it matter?

WHAT IS "CHILD LABOR"? "Child labor" is, generally speaking, work for children that harms them or exploits them in some way (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking access to education). BUT: There is no universally accepted definition of "child labor". Varying definitions of the term are used by international organizations, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and other interest groups. Writers and speakers don’t always specify what definition they are using, and that often leads to confusion.

Is working bad? Not all work is bad for children. Some social scientists point out that some kinds of work may be completely unobjectionable — except for one thing about the work that makes it exploitative. For instance, a child who delivers newspapers before school might actually benefit from learning how to work, gaining responsibility, and a bit of money. But what if the child is not paid? Then he or she is being exploited.

Exploitation Josiméne, 10, works as a restavec, or live-in maid, in a two-room house outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. Josiméne's parents are small farmers in Haiti's remote and mountainous heartland. Two years before these photographs were taken, they asked a local woman to find a family that would take Josiméne as a servant.

"Child labor" is work for children under age 18 that in some way harms or exploits them (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking children from education).

CHILD SOLDIERS Since 1993, Burundi has been gripped by a civil war between the Tutsi-led government and rebel groups dominated -- and claiming to represent -- the Hutu majority population. The government has herded the mostly Hutu population into camps near the capital city of Bujumbura. Children from the camps join the army and guerilla groups in order to escape the poverty, food shortages and boredom of the camps.

Child Trafficking Nepal "border guards" stopped this young girl and the man behind her at the Nepali/Indian at the Birgunj border crossing because the man said they were married and going to see his parents in India, but they could not produce traveling papers for the girl or proof of their marriage. They were detained at the Maiti Nepal office for more questioning and then the girl's parents were contacted and she was taken home to her village.

Child scavengers hunt for food and goods in a dump in city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia‘s capital.

WHO ARE CHILD LABORERS? AND HOW MANY ARE THERE? In 2000, the ILO estimates, "246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labor, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child labor, which include forced and bonded labor, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation."

Miriam, 13, smoothes off the top of a mud-filled brick mold. Her sister, too young to make bricks, sits on the ground behind Miriam and holds a doll, next to their younger brother. Around the world, children and their families make bricks out of clay packed into simple molds.

ARE THERE CHILD LABORERS IN THE UNITED STATES?

Yes If you are talking about "child labor" as defined by the US law. The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the minimum working age as 15, with some exceptions. In the United States: An estimated 290,200 children were unlawfully employed in 1996.

Child Labor in the news and you… Apple Admits to using 15 year olds in Factories Jon & Kate Child Labor Complaint Dismissed “Sexting” Shockingly Common Among Teens

THEN & NOW: How Far Have We Progressed?