| Today one in eight children arent at school. | | | | education. For the poorest families exams, |
| Theyre not skipping class, playing with their | | | | schoolbooks or transport, are also paid for- |
| friends, or off sick- these kids are already | | | | helping those too poor to take advantage of |
| engaged in full time, adult employment. | | | | even free schools. HARD SUMS Privatised |
| Perhaps making the T-shirt you are wearing, | | | | education can actually push children into |
| or stitching your next pair of trainers. In | | | | hazardous employment. Tanzania had an |
| June 2002 the International Labour | | | | incredible 96% literacy rate in the late |
| Organisations report A Future without Child | | | | 1970s due to its compulsory education. Now |
| Labour revealed 350 million children | | | | the literacy rate is dropping at 2% because |
| currently work. Only106 million of these do | | | | the country is paying twice as much in debts |
| so in safe conditions for an acceptable | | | | to rich countries as it spends on education. |
| amount of time. The rest are employed in | | | | The IMF and World Bank have pressured |
| jobs, which can cost them their health and | | | | countries into reduce social spending in |
| happiness. Although the vast majority of | | | | their structural adjustment programmes and |
| children work as domestic, farm or fishing | | | | education necessarily suffers. A case report |
| labourers, 5% of working children are | | | | by the International Labour Organisation |
| employed in the export sector. This is not | | | | (ILO), showed almost 50% of children |
| many until you think each of these children | | | | interviewed in a Tanzanian mines were there |
| may live like Jitti, thirteen-year old Thai | | | | to save money to pay their school fees. |
| boy who told Free the Children he works 11-14 | | | | Economic institutions and richer countries |
| hours a day. Employed in a leather factory he | | | | need to cancel their debts and stop loans |
| spends the whole day inhaling glue fumes, and | | | | being contingent on reduced social spending |
| earns just $45 a month with two days off. | | | | to show their commitment to end childrens |
| After paying a middleman he has $29 to help | | | | misery. HELP! For individual children |
| his family and try to survive. HAPPY | | | | stipends or micro-credit schemes can help. |
| FAMILIES? Many people believe children work | | | | Free the Children have a simple project |
| because their parents are cruel, uncaring or | | | | helping children stay at school in India by |
| lazy. But the fact is many families cannot | | | | buying cows for women to milk as an |
| survive without the money their children | | | | alternative income. Educating and mobilising |
| earn. On average working children bring in | | | | communities on Childrens Rights also prevents |
| 20% of a families income - which could be the | | | | exploitation. Supporting Trade Unions can |
| difference between starvation and survival. | | | | also prevent child labour. For children in |
| The need for this money means children pulled | | | | the worst forms of labour, such as bonded |
| out of jobs may just look for work in less | | | | labour and prostitution, only immediate |
| visible, more dangerous fields. Free the | | | | removal and rehabilitation is acceptable. For |
| Children, an international children's Ngo | | | | most children a short-term solution would be |
| explain that in 1993 a US bill was proposed | | | | combining education and work. Perhaps the |
| to prevent garments made by children being | | | | most obvious answers would be to ensure the |
| imported into America. Instead of protecting | | | | fare wages of adults. If this was achieved |
| children it led to many Bangladeshi child | | | | they could support their children without |
| workers being fired, faced with destitution | | | | sending them out to work Governments promise |
| they were forced to turn to brick breaking | | | | time and time again to end child labour. But |
| and prostitution. Incredibly our gut reaction | | | | it is time for consumers to take action. As |
| to boycott products can then create even more | | | | well as buying Fair Trade goods the ILO |
| damage to children STICKING PLASTER | | | | recommends 1. Lobby your government to ratify |
| SOLUTIONS Child labour is caused by a number | | | | and apply ILO Conventions to the letter. 2. |
| of factors, although poverty is perceived as | | | | Pressure your local authorities to enforce |
| the overriding one, opportunity and cultural | | | | laws on education. 3. Urge your trade union |
| perceptions also play their part. Working | | | | to take up the cause at home, or in |
| towards a long term solution needs the myths | | | | solidarity with unions abroad. 4. Urge your |
| surrounding child labour to be exploded, and | | | | employers confederation to start relevant |
| the will created to protect the most | | | | programmes. 5. Join and support national or |
| vulnerable members of society. According to | | | | international non-governmental organizations |
| the ILO, The struggle against child labour is | | | | active in the field. 6. Help create or run |
| first and foremost a matter of changing | | | | educational alternatives for working |
| attitudes People must be convinced that child | | | | children. 7. Talk to children and parents to |
| labour not only should be abolished, but can | | | | encourage them into alternatives. 8. Urge |
| be abolished. Education is essential, without | | | | local, national and international news media |
| it children become trapped in a cycle of low | | | | to raise awareness about child labour. 9. |
| paid work continuing into adulthood and | | | | Distribute IPEC and other anti-child labour |
| forcing them to send their own children out | | | | documentation. 10. Be an informed consumer |
| to work. Sometimes they are so damaged by | | | | and traveller. |
| their work when they were children, as adults | | | | |
| they cannot work at all. In the Southern | | | | Davinos Greeno works for the ethical |
| Indian state of Kerala, there is very little | | | | directory which sells fairtrade shoes |
| child labour, despite India having the | | | | plus we have Ethical Company Articles for you |
| highest child labour rates in the world. This | | | | to read or publish. |
| is only because there is free, compulsory | | | | |