WORK OF THE CHILDREN

             Work of the children

Hundreds of million children in the world work. They do not go or little school and almost never play. Their working conditions are often very difficult.

This situation is contrary with several international texts, however signed by the majority of the countries of the world. In particular, it is opposed to  the International Convention rights of the child, adoptive by UNO in 1989, which specifies that "the children should be compelled with no work comprising of the risks or likely to compromise their education".

CHILDREN WORK EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD

According to the International Labour Office, an organization of UNO,  250 million old  children from 4 to 15 years work in the world. The majority live in countries in the process of development. Thus in Asia, 1 child out of 2 works. In Africa, they are 1 out of 3, and in South America 1 out of 5.
But this phenomenon also exists in the industrialized countries. One estimates at 2 million the number of children who work in all Europe.

WHY CHILDREN ARE OBLIGED TO WORK ?

It is before all the poverty  which obliges the children to work. Often, the wages gained by a child enable him to help his family, especially if his/her parents are with unemployment or if they have problems of health.
In the majority of the cases, the child work corresponds to  an exploitation: the children are exploited because they are easier to order than the adults. They do not strike, even when the working conditions are painful. By fear of the reprisals, they never revolt. They often are very badly paid. For certain employers dishonest persons, they thus constitute a profitable labour, which pays much without being expensive.

WHICH ARE THE VARIOUS FORMS OF THE CHILD WORK?

It often happens that the children work quite simply on their premises, to help their family: they prepare the meals, deal with the house, take care of their little brothers and sisters, they work with the fields, deal with the animals, etc. Even it is not a question itself of very painful working conditions, the obligation to achieve these tasks prevents them opening out, from informing themselves and of living their childhood fully: they do not have time to go to the school, nor to play or to rest.
When they work outside, the children can be employed as  servants. It is the case of the majority of the girls of less than 16 years which work in the world. Often, they are true slaves, badly nourished, working up to 20 hours per day.
In many countries in the process of development, the children represent until  a third of the agricultural labour. They work for example in the exploitations of cane with sugar. One also makes work the children in  industry  and  the craft industry  (factories of clothing, shoes, carpet, toys).
Certain forms and working conditions are particularly harmful for the health and the safety of the children. Work in the mines, for example, is particularly painful and dangerous. Because of their small size, one uses sometimes children to be introduced into the tanks of the tankers and to clean them; they are then in contact with dangerous products for their health.
In the most difficult situations, the children who cannot count any more on the assistance of their family must live in the street. To survive,  the children of the streets  wax shoes, collect refuse or beg. They then become easy preys for certain adults who are useful themselves of them to practise prohibited activities (such as the traffic of drugs), or which exploit their body (for example by obliging them with prostituer).
Lastly, when a country is in war, it happens that children are enrôlés of force to fight. In the engagements, these "children soldiers " often find themselves in first line.

CAN ONE PROHIBIT THE CHILD WORK?

There are already international laws  which regulate the child work. International Labour Organization (ILO) fixed at 15 years the minimum age to work and precise that no minor must be affected with dangerous work. But these laws are not used for nothing if the States do not apply them.
It is not thus enough to prohibit the child work to abolish it.Moreover, the child work to a large extent is caused by poverty. The solution to fight against the child work is thus  to reduce poverty. For this reason in 1991 an international Program for the abolition of the child work was created, the IPEC. The actions of the IPEC are financed by the richest countries of the world. In India, for example, one builds schools and one proposes a financial assistance with the parents to incite them to send their children to it.
For the moment, in the countries where one cannot prevent the child work completely, it is indeed significant that the children reach the instruction all the same, because the education of the population of a country is necessary so that the country develops economically.

Can't One STOP BUYING The PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY CHILDREN?

In fact, the great majority of the products manufactured by children in the countries in the process of development is sold on the spot. Only a small quantity is exported towards the rich countries.
In 1992, the United States wanted to prohibit the importation of the clothing made by children. In Bangladesh, 50 000 children thus lost their employment. But they are not turned over to the school for as much: they recovered to seek work, and as there was not, some finished by flying or prostituer.
There is not miracle solution. Indeed, it is necessary for all  to sensitize the opinion  because this phenomenon is still badly known. It is besides the objective of the world day against the child work, which takes place every year on June 12.