Child labour in hazardous employment: The case of Zimbabwe (original) (raw)
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The Magnitude and Causes of Hazardous Child Labour in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Journal of African Development Studies
The main objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and causes of hazardous child labor in Addis Ababa. To address this objective, a mixed method research design that tilts towards quantitative approach was employed. The result revealed that about 90% of child laborers in Addis Ababa are working in hazardous working conditions, which is much higher than the Sub Saharan Africa average and ILO and CSA estimates for Addis Ababa. This affects physical and mental health and moral development of the children. Considerable proportions of child laborers are working in unhealthy environment mainly in areas exposed to dust, smoke, and fume; extreme cold and heat; loud noise or vibration as well as physical, psychological, and sexual abuses because of their work. Children work or engage in child labor f or a variety of reasons. Accordingly, the most important factors behind child labor among children were found to be poverty, children’s economic interest, and rural-urban migration. Th...
Children of developing countries, by and large, have been working in different kinds of economic activities either on territorial (urban/rural) distribution or on sectoral (formal / lnformal and / or organized / unorganized) allocation basis. They used to work in manufacturing plants, small factories, metal and construction works. The inductive study is based on social suryey aiming at unveiling the physical and mental discomforts of children involved in hazardous formal and/or informal economic sectors. Decisive examination of both primary and secondary data was made for in-depth analysis. Around 90% children under survey were suffering fror. different psycho-physical diseases while above half of them availed Medicaid and care from locally self-trained physicians who possessed no recognized knowledge of medical care. ln addition, child workers are less-paid than those of adults. The study concluded that working at an early age causes problems of health and safety; and thereby get impeded their intellectual development and natural growth which causes severe negative consequences on economic potentials.
Child Labor and Health: Problems and Perspectives
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2000
Child labor remains a widespread problem in the world today. Although child labor can have positive effects, in some situations it has negative effects on health and development of the children. It is mainly a problem in developing countries, but it is possible to find child workers in developed countries, some of them, working in hazardous activities. In this paper we describe the child labor profile in developed and developing countries, and the principal occupations and its hazards. In addition, we summarize the epidemiologic evidence of the grater impact of some occupational exposures on child health when compared to adults, and the theoretical concerns about the impact of child labor on health. Furthermore, we describe policies that can be used to combat harmful child labor.
Physical & Psychological Hazards Faced by Child Labour – A Review Article
Child labour is a worldwide phenomenon but more focus is required on developing countries. The policy framework of International Labour Organization (ILO) to eliminate child labour is based on United Nations (UN) Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at work (1998). Over 170 million children worldwide still work in order to sustain their basic needs. About 22000 working children die due to occupational hazards every year, as per ILO estimates. Indian population has more than 17.5 million working children in different industries (Child Labour in India 1994;, and maximum are in agricultural sector, leather industry, mining and match making industries etc. As per provisions in the Constitution of India, "the State shall direct its policy towards protection of childhood and youth against exploitation and they shall not be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any hazardous employment"; but unfortunately India has the largest number of urban and rural child workers in the world (Fyfe, 1994)) India being a developing nation is faced with traditional public health problems like communicable diseases, malnutrition, poor environmental sanitation and inadequate medical care. However, globalization and rapid industrial growth in the last few years has resulted in emergence of occupational health related issues. The major occupational diseases/morbidity of concern in India are silicosis, musculo-skeletal injuries, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive lung diseases, asbestosis, by sinuses, pesticide poisoning and noise induced hearing loss. There are many agencies like National Institute of Occupational Health, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Central Labour Institute, etc. are working on researchable issues like Asbestos and asbestos related diseases, Pesticide poisoning, Silica related diseases other than silicosis and Musculoskeletal disorders. Still much more is to be done for improving the occupational health research. The measures such as creation of advanced research facilities, human resources development, creation of environmental and occupational health cells and development of database and information system should be taken.
Child labour: a public health issue
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2009
Child labour is a global practice and has many negative outcomes. According to International Labour Organization, child labour is the important source of child exploitation and child abuse in the world today. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has estimated the number of Pakistani working children to be around 11-12 millions, out of which, at least, half the children are under the age of ten years. It portrays the society's attitude towards child care. It is therefore, essential to break this vicious cycle and hence, enable the society to produce healthy citizens. This article analyzes the determinants of child labour in the Pakistani context and its implications for child's life, in specific, and for the nation, in general, utilizing the model developed by Clemen-stone & McGuire (1991). Since this practice has complex web of causation, a multidisciplinary approach is required to combat this issue through proposed recommendations.
Exposures Resulting in Safety and Health Concerns for Child Laborers in Less Developed Countries
Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2016
Objectives. Worldwide, over 200 million children are involved in child labor, with another 20 million children subjected to forced labor, leading to acute and chronic exposures resulting in safety and health (S&H) risks, plus removal from formal education and play. This review summarized S&H issues in child labor, including forced or indentured domestic labor as other sectors of child labor. Specifically, we focused on exposures leading to S&H risks.Methods. We used PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. References were in English, published in 1990–2015, and included data focused on exposures and S&H concerns of child labor.Results. Seventy-six journal articles were identified, 67 met criteria, 57 focused on individual countries, and 10 focused on data from multiple countries (comparing 3–83 countries). Major themes of concern were physical exposures including ergonomic hazards, chemical exposure hazards, and missed education. Childhood labor, especially forced, exploi...
Children of developing countries, by and large, have been working in different kinds of economic activities either on territorial (urban/rural) distribution or on sectoral (formal / informal and / or organized / unorganized) allocation basis. They used to work in manufacturing plants, small factories, metal and construction works. The inductive study is based on social survey aiming at unveiling the physical and mental discomforts of children involved in hazardous formal and/or informal economic sectors. Decisive examination of both primary and secondary data was made for in-depth analysis. Around 90% children under survey were suffering from different psycho-physical diseases while above half of them availed Medicaid and care from locally selftrained physicians who possessed no recognized knowledge of medical care. In addition, child workers are less-paid than those of adults. The study concluded that working at an early age causes problems of health and safety; and thereby get impeded their intellectual development and natural growth which causes severe negative consequences on economic potentials.
The social and occupational health problems of child labour: A challenge the world is facing
Indian Journal of Community Health
Eliminating child labour is one of the biggest challenges that the world is facing. Child labour not only causes damage to a child's physical and mental health but also keeps him deprived of his basic rights to education, development, and freedom. Children of lower socio-economic class are known to be inducted as child labour. The main causes of child labour include poverty, unemployment, excess population and urbanization. The construction sector is one of the most hazardous working environments especially for children. Children are exposed to dangerous machinery causing fatal and non-fatal injuries, while operating or working near them. Children are exposed to strenuous labour, which can affect the musculo-skeletal development of the children. In industries, child workers are exposed to various physical, mental, social occupational hazards resulting in lower growth and poor health status. Working long hours, child labourers are often denied a basic school education, normal social interaction, personal development and emotional support from their family. The Child Labour Act was implemented in India in 1986 that outlaws child labour in certain areas and sets the minimum age of employment at fourteen. Eradicating poverty is only the first step on the road for eliminating child labour. There is an urgent need for intensive focus and research along with political and practical decisions to improve the conditions of working children for the betterment of their health and development. Proper education of the children and banning child labor will help in boosting the success of the country.
Health Status of Hazardous Child Labor in Leather Industry: A Study in Dhaka City
Bangladesh Research Foundation Journal , 2012
The child is the beginning without end. The end of the child is the beginning of the end. When a society allows its children to be killed, it is because it has begun its own suicide as a society. When it does not love the child it is because it has failed to recognize its humanity"this was the realization of Herbert de Souza, in 1992. Hazardous child labor constitutes one of the most vulnerable and marginal groups in Bangladesh. Child laborers are the victims of thousands of problems; e.g. poverty, scarcity, deprivation, torture, sickness, violation of child rights etc. At present, total working children between 5 to 17 years old is estimated at 7.9 million and maximum of them are involved with various types of hazardous work. Their health status is not good enough to survive as normal human beings. There are child welfare policy, laws, ordinances and rules to provide social security and other services to the children for their well being, especially vulnerable children like child labor, street children, trafficked children, etc. Bangladesh also has rectified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child, 1989. Regrettably, not all government and non-government organizations follow these rules with sincerity. Findings of this study indicate that most of the time the hazardous child laborers suffer from various health related problems (physical, social and mental health) and are deprived from the required rights and facilities as they are supposed to have as citizens of Bangladesh. As a result, the situations of malnutrition, insecurity, illiteracy, unskilled labor, social crime and violation of human rights persist. The present paper is an attempt to understand the health status of hazardous child labor followed by suggestions to overcome these situations.