Child Labor

CHILD LABOR

Logos: According to International Labor Organization estimates, there are some
250 million children between the ages of 5 and14 years who are in economic activity in developing According to ILO estimates; there are some
250 million children between the ages of 5 and14 years who are in economic activity in developing countries alone. For 120 million of them, work is a full-time activity. The remainder combines work with schooling or other non-economic activities.

Countries alone. For 120 million of them, work is a full-time activity. The remainder combines work with schooling or other non-economic activities.

In absolute terms, Asia, being the most densely populated region of the world, has the largest number of child workers. 61 per cent are found in Asia, 32 per cent in Africa and 7 per cent in Latin America.

Pathos: imagine if you were part of a poor family and you wanted to go to school and study but your parents forced you to do labor work such as farming or factory work, how would you feel? Wont you feel like a slave in your own family? Would you stay quite and hide behind or rebel?

Ethos: The essential problem is not child labor itself but the exploitation of it. Many societies in both developing and industrialized countries perceive child work to be beneficial to a child’s development and personal growth as well as being a necessary family commitment. Many children work after school, on weekends or during holidays.

However, there is a big difference between this type of child labor and the absolute exploitation that children in prostitution, bonded labor and sweatshop employment are subjected to. Employers commonly expose working children to excessively long hours, health and safety risks as well as abuse. They are often housed in sub-standard accommodation and work for non-fixed or irregularly paid wages.