Background
As the map below displays, child labor is a widespread issue that affects, at some level, almost every region in the world. While child labor is present around the globe, it is most prominently an issue in Africa, Asia and Latin America (“Global Profits”). These countries are labelled as redder on the map to display their high risk for child labor. These regions that are more affected by this issue are those that are less developed or more agricultural based (Herumin 64). Places where child labor is less common, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and parts of Europe are labelled as ‘Low Risk’ on the map. These places have a decreased threat of child labor due to the laws and restrictions against this practice and certain demographics in these areas.
Origins
Tracing back to the Industrial Revolution, this issue stemmed from children working in the textile industry—mostly in the United Kingdom—under the same working conditions as adults. The picture shown on the right is of English children who are being paid for their labor. These children made up about 16% of the employees in Britain because employers used them for their size, maneuverability, and the inclination to work for less pay. At this time, there were few laws in place to decrease or stop this harsh practice; although, the Factory Act was created for this purpose in the United Kingdom in 1833. This act allowed the usage of child labor during the day but worked to limit their hours. Later, in 1867, this act was extended beyond the textile industry to include other types of child labor (“Child Labor,” World). During and after the Industrial Revolution, people protested the use of child labor and the movement spread beyond the UK into other European countries and the U.S. There were many movements following this in respective countries, but the international community did not start to come together on this issue until the early 19th century. This occurred when the International Labour Organization (ILO) created a movement to fight child labor. The movement led to the creation of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child in 1989 and the ILO’s convention to promote the elimination of the worst forms of child labor which was compromised of 116 countries. This issue not only affects the Third World’s poor, underdeveloped countries but also more developed, industrialized countries such as Germany, Japan, the United States, the UK, France, and more (“Child Labor,” Global). After the international community banded together with the help of the media, child labor became a global issue
Picture 1: (Child Labor Index)
Picture 2: (CHILD LABOR, 1871.)
Picture 1: (Child Labor Index)
Picture 2: (CHILD LABOR, 1871.)