Submitted by crinadmin on
For many years child labour has been recognised both as a
source of abuse of children and exploitation of their rights. In
response to continuing concerns on this issue Defence for
Children International and the International Society for the
Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect established, in 1992, the
International Working Group on Child Labour (IWGCL). The
objectives of the IWGCL included: to influence and inform
government policies, to share knowledge of the experience of
working children around the world, to encourage the participation
of grass roots activists, and lastly to ensure that the voices of
working children themselves were heard in debates about this
issue.
The Report highlights the achievements of the IWGCL in attaining
these objectives and reflects the role of the IWGCL in stimulating
discussion of this issue. The information provided in 35 Country
Reports and 4 Regional Reports draws attention to the fact that
children participate in a wide range of economies including those
of both developed and developing countries. The Report
highlights the nature of that participation, noting both the
similarities and differences in the experiences of working children.
Poverty: not the only cause?
A number of myths exist about children's work. One of these
relates to the underlying causes of children's work. A general
explanation has been that poverty accounts for children's role in
the labour force. The Report acknowledges that tackling poverty
would improve many of the circumstances that force children to
work. However, it also argues that no single cause can explain all
of the examples of children's economic participation highlighted in
the Report. Other causes, such as traditional social values, need
to be acknowledged.
New ways to think of the problem
A second myth which the Report questions relates to the
traditional dichotomy of "child labour", which is thought of as bad,
and "child work", which is thought of as good. Treating child
employment in this way has dominated the debates in this area
for a number of years. While showing the limitations of this
approach, the IWGCL suggests a number of alternative ways in
which to think about and understand the nature of children's
work.
Participation of children
One of the most important objectives of the IWGCL was to
encourage and facilitate the participation of children in debates
about their work. The Report clearly shows the insights that may
be gained by encouraging policy makers and governments to
listen to "children's voices" and to ensure their participation in
debates that directly concern them. Such an approach results in a
challenge for policy makers, in particular, the need to accept that
if they are intent on abolishing forms of work then alternatives
need to be provided.
The way forward
The methods adopted by the IWGCL have resulted in a large
resource base of country and regional reports that provide
insights into the nature of children's work around the world.
What emerges from this material is that solutions to problems
emerging from children's economic participation will require all of
the relevant actors to work in consort. Therefore, governments,
trade unions, non-governmental organisations, researchers and,
most importantly, children themselves need to be brought
together at the micro and macro level if workable solutions are to
be found. There is a need to move away from moral stances and
political posturing and tackle the realities of working children's
lives.
The full report (86 pages) can be ordered at IWGCL p/o DCI-NL
for USD 25 (inclusive p+p).