Child labour context
Having reviewed the materials and resources so far shared with you, what are your views on child labour? Is it a problem in your community?
Child labour is a serious problem in our community. we have alot of children from low-income and densely populated residential areas engaged in this. --Brian.sikute 10:19, 14 January 2011 (UTC)
Hi Brian. Thanks for this very important observation. You have also brought in the aspect of the root causes of child labour. In our region (Sub-Saharan Africa), the main causes are poverty and vulnerability to economic shocks, HIV and AIDS limited social protection cultural beliefs and traditional practices to mention a few. Which other examples can you cite from your country?--Lungowe 10:27, 14 January 2011 (UTC)
Hi Lungowe, There is a lot of controversy as what constitutes child labor. For example would sending a child to fetch water for family use be considered as child labor? Or if I asked my child to help out in cultivating the field considering that the food he/she will eat comes from the fields, would that be a crime. After all the bibles say he who does not want to work should not eat! kindly clarify
In 2000, the ILO estimates, "246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labor, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Child labor is, generally speaking, work for children that harms them or exploits them in some way (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking access to education).
Hi Lungowe. Child labor is a problem in my community. I come from a small town in Malawi and what you see when you walk down to the market is strongly overwhelming. children are selling goods in markets, carrying heavy loads on long distances, while the adults are at home or relaxing elsewhere. For what benefit are the MDGs in combatting child labor??
Hi Lungowe, Sorry for not being active in the discussion, iv been experiencing internet problems in my country. Child labour is a problem in my community and this has deprieved children from their rights such as education, health, the right to protection, etc. however, i want to know, what is the definition of a child?
Belinda, International conventions define children as aged 18 and under. Individual governments may define "child" according to different ages or other criteria. Child and childhood are also defined differently by different cultures. A child is not necessarily defined by a fixed age. Social scientists point out that children’s abilities and maturities vary so much that defining a child’s maturity by calendar age can be misleading.
