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Child Labour In The Third World Essay

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Child Labor in the Third World

The problem of child labor has become an ever-increasing concern among many nations. Many of the worst child labor offenses take place in Third World countries. Throughout these nations, children are being forced to work long hours in terrible conditions for little or no money. To fully understand child labor, one needs to address the reasons for supporting and opposing child labor, its effect on underdeveloped countries’ economies and the child laborers, and what is being done to combat child labor.

Child labor can be defined as mostly full-time work of children under the age of 14 in situations that are damaging to health, education, or moral development- for pay or no pay. The most common type of …show more content…

Little children can be efficient at many unskilled and semi-skilled tasks, and these children of the lower castes are actually meant to work rather than attend school. Another argument is that it is naive for Western societies to apply their standards to other countries and cultures. It is argued that Western societies need to respect the local cultures and customs of different nation. Finally, ending child labor is not a guarantee that the well being of the child will be improved. Many of these children need to work to sustain life, and if they can not work in the formal or legal sectors of the economy, they will find jobs in the informal sector. It may force children from productive jobs into prostitution and dangerous life on the street.

While many Third World nations feel child labor is necessary, many developed nations strongly oppose the practice. They believe that exploiting children is immoral and unethical. The majority of these nations have laws protecting their own children from the possibility of exploitation in the workforce. Opponents of child labor believe that childhood should be a period devoted to training and education, not work. Furthermore, they feel that children have the right to be children and to enjoy their youth. Instead of enjoying their young years, these children are forced to work long days in cruel circumstances and receive little or no money. Child labor also generates poverty. Children work for much lower pay rates than

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