Child Labour - Regal International CSR

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Understanding the Issue of Child Labor:

Child labor poses serious risks, including physical injury and the prevention of education. Growing income disparities have forced millions of children to choose between schooling and supporting their families. According to the ILO, 215 million children aged five to seventeen are currently engaged in unlawful, dangerous, or exploitative work. In some cases, children as young as 14 are legally allowed to work due to their families' dire financial circumstances. Many are involved in sectors such as commercial farming, fishing, processing, mining, and housekeeping, while others may resort to selling drugs, engaging in prostitution, or joining the military.

Identifying the Characteristics of Child Labor:

Child labor significantly hampers educational opportunities, which is crucial for personal growth and development. The impact of work on academic performance varies based on the type of job and the number of hours worked. Children who work long hours are more likely to miss school.

Characteristics of Child Labor:

  • Violation of Legal Age: Engaging children in work that breaches national legal age requirements.
  • Health Risks: Exposure to physical, psychological, or behavioral dangers.
  • Severe Exploitation: Involvement in serious forms of mistreatment, including child slavery, exploitation, debt bondage, and criminal activities.
  • Educational Barriers: Discouragement from attending school, leading to a lack of education.
  • Subversion of Labor Norms: Utilization of child labor to undermine established labor standards.

Child Labor: Are Schooling and Labor Casually Related?

The relationship between work and schooling sheds light on how children's employment impacts education, but it does not definitively establish causation. Various economic and cultural factors simultaneously influence both schooling and work choices, making the direction of these associations unclear. For instance, does school absence lead to increased employment, or does involvement in labor result in school absenteeism among youth?

Several academic studies have sought to clarify this causality by isolating an “instrumental variable” that influences whether a child works while having no effect on the parents’ prioritization of other activities in their children’s lives. Although the objective elements used in these studies have been scrutinized, researchers generally agree that the connection between child labor and schooling is stronger than the statistics might suggest.

In Asia, approximately 114 million (or 53%) of the world’s 215 million child laborers reside. In comparison, Latin America accounts for around 14 million (or 7%), and sub-Saharan Africa has about 65 million (or 30%).

Role in Agriculture

Children are frequently employed in commercial agriculture, exposing them to dangerous conditions such as heat and pesticide exposure. They receive low wages and often lack access to basic amenities like clean water and proper sanitation. Child labor constitutes 60% of all labor in agriculture, mining, and forestry. Notable examples include:

  • Cocoa production in the Ivory Coast
  • Cotton harvesting in Egypt and Benin
  • Flower cutting in Colombia
  • Orange farming in Brazil
  • Tea cultivation in Ethiopia and Bangladesh

Role in Manufacturing

Children aged 5 to 14 are also engaged in various roles within the manufacturing sector, including but not limited to:

  • Medical instruments produced in Pakistan
  • Carpets made in India, Pakistan and Egypt
  • Garments from Bangladesh, India and the Philippines
  • Soccer balls manufactured in Pakistan