Child Labour: A Dirty face of our Society
                     CHILD LABOUR: A DIRTY 
FACE OF OUR SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION
IN THE LAST DECADE, CHILD LABOUR HAS 
DECREASED BY 38%; HOWEVER, 152 MILLION 
CHILDREN ARE STILL AFFECTED AND THE COVID-19 
PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED THE SITUATION.
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
ACROSS THE 
WORLD
CHILD LABOUR REACHES MANY DIFFERENT CORNERS 
ACROSS THE WORLD, OFTEN OCCURRING IN 
VARIOUS SECTORS THAT CAN HAVE DETRIMENTAL 
EDUCATIONAL, HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL 
IMPACTS ON CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING. 
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
DRIVERS OF 
CHILD LABOUR
THERE ARE VARIOUS DRIVERS OF CHILD LABOUR 
SUCH AS POVERTY, ARMED CONFLICT, INADEQUATE 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS, SOCIAL INEQUALITY, 
DISCRIMINATION AND INGRAINED CULTURAL 
TRADITIONS TO NAME A FEW.
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
DEFINING 
CHILD LABOUR
ALL FORMS OF SLAVERY OR PRACTICES SIMILAR TO 
SLAVERY, SUCH AS THE SALE AND TRAFFICKING OF 
CHILDREN, DEBT BONDAGE AND SERFDOM AND 
FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOUR, INCLUDING 
FORCED OR COMPULSORY RECRUITMENT OF 
CHILDREN FOR USE IN ARMED CONFLICT.
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
THE WORST FORMS OF 
CHILD LABOUR
1. CHILD TRAFFICKING
2. SEXUAL EXPLOITATION (WHICH INCLUDES 
PORNOGRAPHY AND PROSTITUTION)
3. DRUG TRAFFICKING
4. DEBT BONDAGE (ALSO REFERRED TO AS BONDED 
LABOUR)
5. SLAVERY
6. FORCED LABOUR
7. ORGANIZED CHILD BEGGING
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
HAZARDOUS CHILD 
LABOUR
HAZARDOUS CHILD LABOUR IS DEFINED UNDER 
ARTICLE 3(D) OF ILO CONVENTION NO. 182 AS 
“WORK WHICH, BY ITS NATURE OR THE 
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT IS CARRIED OUT, IS 
LIKELY TO HARM THE HEALTH, SAFETY OR MORALS 
OF CHILDREN” (ILO). 
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
FORCED CHILD LABOUR
UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, ´FORCED´ LABOUR IS 
DEFINED AS “WORK OR SERVICE WHICH IS EXACTED 
FROM ANY PERSON UNDER THE MENACE OF ANY 
PENALTY FOR ITS NON-PERFORMANCE AND FOR 
WHICH THE WORKER DOES NOT OFFER HIMSELF 
VOLUNTARILY” (THEVENON & EDMONDS, 2019).
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
CATEGORIES OF FORCED 
LABOUR
1. EXPLOITATION – WHICH INCLUDES SLAVERY, 
SLAVERY-LIKE PRACTICES, FORCED DOMESTIC 
LABOUR AND BONDED LABOUR.
2. COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
3. STATE-IMPOSED FORCED LABOUR
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
 POVERTY AND 
UNEMPLOYMENT
CHILDREN NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND 
THEIR SURVIVAL IS DEPENDENT ON THEM WORKING. 
THIS VULNERABILITY IS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY 
CRIMINAL GANGS OR TRAFFICKERS.
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
INADEQUATE OR WEAK 
NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL 
SYSTEMS
INADEQUATE OR WEAK NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL 
SYSTEMS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN CHILD 
LABOUR. COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE INADEQUATE 
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, INCLUDING A LACK OF 
TEACHERS AND RESOURCES, CREATE AN UNSTABLE 
ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE 
ACCESS EDUCATION, WHICH IN TURN PUSHES THEM 
TOWARDS CHILD LABOUR.
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SOURCE:  WWW.HUMANIUM.ORG
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