Child Labor

Most of us have done some form of work in our homes as children such as folding clothes, taking out the trash, washing the dishes, etc. However, most people in the world agree that children doing chores is not a form of child labor. So what is child labor? According to ILO, child labor is defined as work that deprives children children of their childhood, often involving them working long hours for low wages under conditions damaging to their health and physical a dental development." Children play a large role in the trafficking industry, and bonded labor is a major form of child labor that is prevalent in South Asia. A response to this issue is to change the accessibility of education and ensure that people are more informed and better equipped to deal with these types of situations.

                       

            Children of both sexes are the most vulnerable victims of human trafficking because of their necessary dependence on adults. However, many times adults abuse the life entrusted to them and manipulate children to do their own will as opposed to what's better for the child. A common example of children being manipulated for an adult's selfish gain is in the case of forced labor. In many parts of the world children are being constantly forced to work under extremely cruel, harsh conditions that result in food and sleep deprivation for the children working.

           

There are many different types of child labor. Some common examples of laborperformed by children include bond labor and domestic service. Children in domestic service are arguably one of the most exploited types of victims, and they are also the most difficult to protect. Domestic servants are often paid very little or not at all and are subject to constant verbal, mental, sexual, and/or physical abuse. Bonded child labor is a form of slavery in which the children are sold at a very young age to pay off a debt, which results in a lifetime of servitude with virtually no escape. Bonded labor can be carried on throughout a family through several generations, and it is especially prevalent in South Asia.

            The most effective way to combat the problem of child labor is through education. This can be quite a challenge, but is not an impossible solution. Education contributes in a major way because a well-educated person is much less likely to agree to hand over their child to work for a trafficker. Poverty is also a contributor to human trafficking, especially in the realm of child labor. However, there really is no direct approach to end poverty. Instead, the advancement of education can help indirectly reduce poverty by allowing people to have better job prospects.