Child Labour in Third World Countries Child labour is the employment of children as money earners. It became a serious social problem in the Industrial Revolution in Britain during the 1700's, and the problem spread to other countries as they became industrialized. The problem arose when children, many below the age of 10, were employed by factories and mines. The youths were forced to work long hours under dangerous and unhealthy conditions, and their wages were very small. Child workers were often deprived of the chance to attend school. Uneducated, the only work they were capable of doing was unskilled labor. Thus, they had little chance to improve themselves. Adults and children under 16 years under 5 years Whole world 5000 million 2000 million 600 million Developing Countries 4000 million 1500 million 500 million Developed Countries 1200 million 277 million 86 million Ennew, Judith. Exploitation of Children(1996) Not only are there over 300 million child workers between the age of 5 to 15 in the third world countries but there are about twice as many that work as a secondary activity. 61 percent of these are found in Asia, 32 percent in Africa, and 7 percent in Latin America. (International Labour Office, Geneva. Child Labour: Targeting the Intolerable ). There are studies that prove that child labour is the cause of many dangers and hazards. Some of the consequences of child labour are as follows: - Working children suffer growth deficits. - Child workers are exposed to hazardous conditions that expose them to chemical and biological hazards. Poverty is the main reason for child labour. Poor households need the money, which their children can earn. Children contribute to 20 25 % of family income. It is obvious that the survival of certain families depends on the childrens earnings. The reason for which children are hired for labour is because of their low wage cost and their great work in return. In developed countries children...
