"Abolish Slavery!" in English and Yiddish, probably taken during May 1, 1909 labor parade in New York City. George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).
As we kick back and relax for our long Labor Day weekend, enjoying some work and stress free days among family and friends, relishing in the freedoms of a fair wage, children across the globe toil away as child labors. Often these children, who sometimes are only a few years old, are placed in hazardous and inhumane conditions, some earn a meager wage, others nothing at all, all are victims of modern slavery…all are denied a childhood!
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) there is an estimated 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 actively involved in child labor, however some organizations state the numbers to be high as 200 million. Children are often forced to work long hours and are often forced to work in harsh and dangerous conditions. Child labor is directly linked to poverty, and provides a substantial barrier to a child’s education, increasing the literacy gap.
So while across the country children everywhere take giddy pride in their day off school and parents relish family outings and picnics, we give little thought to our rights to work and education. However many poor and impoverished families are forced to deny their child an education and send them child to out to work to help the family survive. Millions of children have never seen the inside of a classroom, often disparagingly girls, yet spend their days toiling in fields, factories, homes and begging on the streets.
India, protest on child labor. Source unknown
While the use of child labor impacts children’s rights in a multitude of aspects, the denial of their right to an education is the most detrimental in the long-term perspective. Therefore education has been made a priority global development goal, the UN’s Millennium Development Goals has set to see that all children receive and complete a full their primary education, regardless of gender, by 2015. However if the goals are to be meet then we must work to see that education is free, an issue which many families still struggle to attain funds for or are forced to choose between funds for school or often food for the family. Currently some 75 million children, worldwide, do not have the privilege of basic primary education.
While it is undeniable that there are still grave issues of child labor/slavery, as well as labor injustice, discrimination and slavery among adults in our country, the global issue on the whole cannot pass us by. Thus as we embark on our Labor Day festivities or rest after a hard days work or school, if we take a moment and look to see how far our nation has come, and then cast our glance a bit wider we see the world has a long way to go.
Reports, Treaties and Organizational Links:
International Labor Organization’s Convention 138 on Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
International Labor Organization’s Convention 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labor
