Child Labor Around the World
WHAT IS CHILD LABOR?
Child labor is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity and harms their physical and mental development.
The four worst forms of child labor considered as priorities are:
All forms of slavery;
Prostitution and pornography;
Illegal activities;
Hazardous work.
Hazardous work refers to all work which, by its nature or the conditions in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children.
WHO IS CONCERNED?
There are three categories of child workers:
5 to 11 years old, systematically considered child labor;
12 to 14 years old;
15 to 17 years old.
For a child to be considered a “child at work,” several parameters must be met, depending on the age category: hazardous or non-hazardous industries, hazardous or non-hazardous occupations, hazardous or non-hazardous work conditions, and number of hours worked.
WHERE?
The proportion of child labor is highest in low-income countries (26.2%). By comparison, 0.9% of children work in high-income countries.
This issue is all the more prevalent in rural areas, where 122 million children work, compared with 37 million in urban areas.
Agriculture is the main sector.
CONTEXT
The main form of child labor takes place within the family unit. Some 70% of working children are employed mainly on family farms or in family micro-enterprises. Conflicts, disasters, and crises can further accentuate the proportions of child labor worldwide, increasing the economic precariousness of populations.
Child labor is often associated with dropping out of school. For those still in school, it is not easy to reconcile work and school requirements, which compromises their chances of success and reduces their right to leisure. In terms of numbers, over a third of children between 12 and 14 do not attend school.
As children’s bodies and minds are still developing, they are more vulnerable to occupational hazards, and dangerous work is devastating for their mental and physical health, with long-term consequences. The impact on their development can be physical, cognitive, behavioral, or emotional.
KEY FIGURES AND TRENDS
160 million children worldwide. This represents 1 child in 10.
The prevalence of child labor is higher among boys (97 million) than girls (63 million).
79 million of them perform what is defined as “hazardous work.”
The percentage of child labor remained unchanged between 2016 and 2020. This indicates a lack of progress in the fight against child labor. On the contrary, the global absolute value has increased. In the Sub-Saharan Africa region, the percentage has even increased.
SOLUTIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED
The Coronavirus crisis has exposed children to increased risks due to rising poverty: families are asking children to work, while schools are closing. The ILO has proposed several solutions:
Extending social protection to children and families;
Guarantee free, quality education at least up to the minimum age for admission to employment;
Guarantee the registration of every birth to ensure a legal identity;
Promote decent, well-paid work for people of working age;
Promote means and support for family farms and businesses;
Legislation needed to protect children;
Address issues of gender norms and discrimination.
WHAT IS THE LINK WITH SUSTAINABLE FINANCE?
While sustainable finance aims to direct capital towards investments with a positive social and environmental impact, it also tends to introduce strict regulations for companies. The European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, for example, addresses the issue of child labor, requiring companies to disclose policies and measures taken to address this issue if it is identified as material. From a global perspective, this governance is all the more important as companies operate in countries with different regulations.
That said, most child workers are employed by small or very small informal enterprises, or upstream, at lower levels of supply chains. The policies implemented will be crucial, whether it is legislation, a social security system, or support for family businesses. This fundamental work will aim to protect children from those potential “situations” where they would be forced to work. This is a structural problem that needs to be addressed.
