Progress On Child Labor

There are 168 million children in the world, and of those 11% are currently subjected to child labor. But countries worldwide are cracking down on those who employ, use or abuse children and as a result between 2000 and 2012 the number of children involved has been reduced by one third. The fight is however far from over, and some feel that at the current rate it will take another 40 years to eliminate child labor. Inspired by the report issued by the UN’s ILO (International Labor Organization) some countries are increasing their efforts in fighting against child labor. In fact 25 Latin American and Carribbean countries signed on to an initiative last October to end child labor within their boundaries by 2020. Although most of the countries already have measures in place, it would call for strengthening policies to increase the rate at which child labor can be totally ended, and those children transferred to schools. The initiative particularly affects local areas by doing things like providing funds for law enforcement agencies to better identify children being manipulated by employers, and monitoring the system already in place.

Child labor, as those who fight against it know, is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Eliminating it therefore is an essential part of not only fighting poverty but also of creating a more humane and just world.