Child Labor

Child labor is commonly defined as the employment of children under a minimum legal age. It has been a widespread practice for centuries now and can be viewed as a wooden stick which has its adverse effects on one end and the constructive advantages on the other. But then again it matters which end you swing it from. The term Child labor came to people’s attention when activists started to forward the idea ‘education is the right of every child’. In the pre-industrial times children were supposed to help their parents with the family occupation (agriculture, craftsmanship) or get involved in some other activity to earn a living, but then this whole concept changed and the children were looked upon as vulnerable and innocent creatures that had to be protected from the harsh realities of life. Part of this thought came from the fact that children during that time were sexually and physically harassed by step parents or other people for whom they worked. The anti-child labor laws were introduced and the whole idea of child labor was rejected. It was considered an exploitive device. However, in today’s third world countries it is still a common practice, and amounts for a great share in the overall GDP of a state. The slogan ‘education is the right of every child’ does not stand a chance in these countries as the economy is not stable enough to provide cost-free education to the financially less fortunate part of the population. Hence, Child labor is viewed as assistance rather than a menace. Although Child Labor has always been held accounted for the inhumane Child abuse, deteriorating health of children at the workplace and hindrance to education, it has been of great help to the poverty-stricken families and if governed and managed properly it can flourish the economy and decrease the crime rate, as it teaches an individual the advantageous skills required to righteously move forward in this world.

The foremost cause of child labor is the dependence of a family on a child as a source of income. When questioned about child labor, most people respond in a disapproving manner, and the reason is pretty clear; there is a socially accepted negative connotation attached to it. The obvious argument they present is that children have the right to education, and that child labor snatches from them their carefree childhood. Yes, they have the right to education. Yes, they have every right to engage in recreation with the other from their own age group. But, let’s not forget the economic standing of their families. These poverty-stricken families can obviously not afford even the "free education" offered by the government as it has other costs linked to it. Every member of the family works tirelessly to keep themselves from starving. Now let’s ask a question. What would you choose between survival and education?  It would not be wrong of me to assume the answer as survival. It is extremely difficult for these families to make both ends meet and in a situation like this it is highly unlikely they will accept the idea of education for their children. In Pakistan, a below average (financially) person cannot even afford to have three proper meals per day, so it should be of no surprise that his child doesn’t go to a school. “Pakistan has a per-capita income of $1,900 per year -meaning that a typical person survives barely on $5 per day. And that's not all, Pakistan has a traditional culture where earning of one person goes on feeding 10 mouths; and with the high rate of inflation it becomes difficult for a low income population to survive (Azam np)” The only obvious solution is that the children work in order to support themselves and fulfill their basic requirements. It becomes more of a question of striving to exist. By working a few hours a day, these children are able to support their families, which might consist of people who are either unable to work or whose income is not enough to sustain the whole family. The entire family sometimes depends on a single source of income which is provided by these children. “Among the poorest quintile of households, the share of family income contributed by child workers reaches nearly 50 percent. (Salmon np)” And another journal reads, “The children contributed about 31.3 percent to household income (the household having income group form rupees 1001-1500). The children contributed 20.1 percent to household income (the household having income group form rupees 1501-2000) and contributed 18.2 percent (the household having income group form rupees 2001-3000) whereas, 14 percent children were doing household chores (International journal of academic research 547)” The amount of responsibility laid on children makes them tough and prepares them for the future life. The lessons learnt at this stage will surely be of benefit when these children, in a few years, will have a family of their own. In third world countries it is of great importance to realize the need of a secure source of income to keep up with the rest of the community and these hardworking children are the only help for these financially unstable families.

Moving on, child labor not only helps individual families but it also offers a great share in the industries of a country which in turn assists to build up the economy. The economy of a country depends on its industries, and when we talk about industries in Third world countries, it is almost impossible to ignore the contribution made by small-scale and cottage industries. “According to one estimate, more than 20 per cent of India's economy is dependent on children, the equivalent of 55 million youngsters under 14 (McDougall np)” There are a number of industries which rely solely on children as workers, for example football making, carpet weaving, pot making. “The shocking news is that 11% of the workforce of India is child labor (Kumar np).” The foremost reason for this is the fact that children have small and agile hands which aid them in working on projects which require intricate craftsmanship. “It is also commonly believed that children are able to weave higher quality carpets than adults because their fingers are more "nimble" (ILO np)” Their ability to do delicate work is also remarkable. Children are also considered to be quicker learners as compared to adults and can retain whatever is taught, for longer periods of time. It is supported by “In one study, children were accurate 31 percent of the time in identifying pictures of animals they had seen earlier, while adults were accurate only 7 percent of the time (Sloutsky np).” Children being physically more active can work quickly and efficiently allowing for more work to be done per hour. They are also thought to be more punctual. “The owners/managers claimed that children are easy to be managed, come to work on time, can work independently on contract, work fast and work hard (Bunnak 12).” Another major advantage these children have over adults is the fact that they have better eye-sight and can easily do the detailed crafting. Most people do speak against Child labor but they don’t give a though to the fact that most of the items they buy, might be produced in a third world country by a child. “Recently if you go to a shop to buy your child a new soccer ball, there is a good possibility that the ball has been made by someone your child's age or even younger. About half of the world's soccer balls are made in Pakistan, and each one of them passes through a process of production where child labor is involved (Azam np).” In Pakistan, the large sports goods industry centered at Sialkot relies heavily on child labor. It is one of Pakistan’s major industries and makes a significant contribution to the country’s overall GDP. It also amounts for a large number of footballs exported all around the world.“At one time, Pakistan’s export city of Sialkot was catering to 85 per cent of the total world demand for high-quality hand-stitched inflatable balls (Arifeen np).” If there was a ban put up on child labor, it would have a drastic effect on whole of the sports goods industry.

Children also offer a form of cheap labor which as an outcome attracts large Multinationals from all around the world to invest in these third world countries. Multinationals have their system already set up and are on the lookout for low-cost labor. When Multinationals build up a framework in a country, it provides employment to its people. As a result the total rate of employment increases. It further gives rise to the per capita income which results into better living standards for the average man. Moreover, the establishment of foreign industries brings in foreign exchange and as a chain reaction it boosts up the GDP. Many uneducated children and teenagers, who are out on the streets, wandering aimlessly, could be a part of this and be valuable for their country.

Contrastingly, contestants of child labor accentuate the threats posed to the health of the children who are employed in factories and industries and the physical and mental abuse they are often subject to. Research exposes that these children inhale dangerous fibers, such as carbon or asbestos fibers that are released during the production processes; they are also likely to get injured by cutting tools and heavy machinery, especially if they are very young and unskilled. If we look at this logically, any human being can be harmed by this; ensuring a safe working environment is not just a right for children, it’s a right of all workers. Challengers of child labor point out to the high levels of child abuse prevalent in the work sphere, and also how children are harassed in the worst possible manner. This is true to some extent, and mostly applies to in the case of forced or bonded labor. But the topic here relates to the unforced and paid child labor. Despite child abuse occurring in this case too, there are examples of many industries and jobs which allow children to enjoy a much better standard of living than what they have in their own homes. For instance, children working as domestic servants in houses receive clothes, a safe shelter, food and other facilities. Apart from this, they are also socialized into appropriate social behavior by the families they work for; learning manners, or the decent way to talk to one another, for example. In most factories also, children are provided with food and a place to live.

Adding to the benefits of child labor, we see that while working, a child acquires certain sets of skills which facilitate him in earning his livelihood and empower him to effortlessly move forward in life. If we look at education, what is its purpose? Is it not to help one earn his living through a respectable profession? If someone is a carpet weaver, it is really less likely of him that he has had proper education, but what he has is an acquired skill by means of which he earns his livelihood. If education is defined as a device that aids one in earning his living then learning a skill can safely be assumed to be on par with getting an education. If it is so, then why not master this skill at a young age? If a child learns a skill at a young age, as a result of child labor, then he is actually being taught something from which he can benefit in the present, as well as the future. Knowing a certain skill makes one capable of working at any age and enables him to earn his living in a righteous way. If a man, who has worked in an auto workshop as a child, loses his job (other than as a mechanic) later in life, he can always utilize the skills learnt as a child and return to the old field of work. A skill once learnt will be an asset which will always stay there. Other than this, a child also gets to experience the real life. He comes into the practical world much earlier than the other children and discovers the ways to interact with his surroundings. Children often learn vital rules of communication and the essentials of dealing with people. In today’s world these can now be considered a survival skill tactic and the acquisition of such interacting skills help one get ahead in life. In short, children become streetwise. They become more aware of their environs and their ability to judge potentially dangerous people and situations also ameliorates. Resourcefulness and adeptness are two other characteristics which become a part of them. They also develop the capability of making their own decisions and become psychologically strong.

However, Opposition might argue that skills learnt as children might not be useful later in life. For example skills in which children’s small hands are of significance would be unusable once the child grows up. Although this might be true in some context, a person doesn’t really have to be involved with the skill, directly. Once a man has grown up and can no longer take part in the activity, he can then communicate the basics of a certain skill to new children and employ them under him. He can take a loan and start his own manufacturing (if that is the case) with the children working under his supervision. A simple skill can guide one to a profitable business.

Organizations working against Child Labor blame it to be the biggest hindrance to education, for the children. However, this is clearly not the case. In third world countries, the economies are not strong enough to provide free education to the masses. A lot of children are deprived of this basic necessity. Even the free schools have certain costs of attendance (uniform, books and other supplies) linked to them which makes them out of the reach of a low-income father. Contrary to the popular belief, it is not Child labor which is stopping them from gaining knowledge; it is the fact that there is a great shortage of free government schools in these countries and that the below average person’s salary is not sufficient to afford such a commodity. Let us look at it this way,even if these kids were not working, their chances of going to school were scarce, so the blame put on Child Labor is completely groundless.

Children from poor families that cannot afford to pay for basic necessities of life let alone their education are more likely to spend their time on the streets, be influenced by the delinquents that reside there, and turn to crime as well. Taking the long run into consideration, these children will grow up and have their own family one day, but lacking any education or training, they will certainly be forced to commit crimes such as theft and robbery to support themselves and their families. Andrew W. Horowitz and Julie R. Trivitt, in their article “Does Child Labor Reduce Youth Crime?” talk about how crime rates are deeply linked with Child labor. Certain countries that have a lower percentage of Child labor have a higher number of criminal suspects (Kyklos 565). Most people who do turn to crime are those who are burdened by poverty and other financial problems. A child in employment will be inclined to live his life peacefully, and not turn to the criminal side, since he is able to earn money for his livelihood. Also, work gives children a feeling of empowerment. Sociologist David Matza theorized that children often commit crime in response to the oppression or feelings of powerlessness they encounter at the hands of the adults who surround them (Criminology: Drift Theory and Delinquency np). Additionally, since the children are locked into a system of work with rules and wages based on hours worked, there is no opportunity for them to commit crime; they are always kept occupied and know the consequences of breaking the rules of their employers. Lastly, children working in enclosed spaces like factories and houses are normally supervised by someone in authority, which again closes their window to commit crime, since getting caught doing something wrong will result in them losing their job and whatever source of income they have.

In the words of Ralph Emerson Waldo, “every sweet has its sour.” Applying this saying to the issue of child labor, it is safe to conclude that there are both beneficial and detrimental aspects of letting children enter the workforce. On one hand, child labor is such a valuable commodity that most of the Third world countries’ GDPs primarily rely on it; but on the other, it is seen as a heinous crime against humans since its seen as an exploitative system that robs children of the innocence and childhood. There has been possible link between child labor and reduction in crime rates observed by some researches and some studies also show that children are much better suited to performing certain jobs than adults. By entering into the work force, a child can acquire skills that he can make use of throughout his life, and also learn values and norms that will help him interact with other people and gain success in life, a process that is much elongated in terms of immediate reward for children who choose to stay in school. However, it’s not right to ignore the dangers children may face in the work sphere; because of their youth and innocence, they are easy targets of abuse by adults. Also, children are normally employed at very low wages and work under conditions that are highly harmful to their lives. This debate on whether child labor should be acceptable or not has existed since a very long time, and it will continue to do so, since defining something as acceptable or not is a social construct, meaning that as the attitudes of society change, views towards child labor will also be affected. It all boils down to this, however; children should be allowed to enter the workforce, whether they are forced to do so out of facing poverty at home, or to combat feelings of powerlessness, or simply because this is what their families want. The benefits of child labor outweigh those against it; children have been part of the work force historically, and they have proven themselves to take on the jobs adults have.

SALMAN AKRAM

SECTION- I

11U3011