Child LAbor
... of age, the participation rate in Europe is below 1.5 percent, whereas Africa shows the highest participation rate in the world, with a figure of 27.87 percent. The participation rate in Asia is 15.19 percent, and in 1995, it was 15 percent in Latin America .2. One out of six children—an estimated—246 million children—are involved in child labor (All Africa). Because children will listen and act upon the demand of adults, they are easy to control. Children are taught to listen and respect their elders; therefore, they will ask no questions when asked to do something. At the ages between five and fourteen, children Garcia 3 do not really think for themselves; moreover, will not go against an adult’s word even if it is wrong. For example, children will not go on strike or ask for a higher salary because there would be no one to stick up for them (Foster). Another cause of child labor is their family may be suffering from poverty. In countries around the world, parents are likely to be unemployed or getting paid very low money; therefore, children have to start working to help the family (Child Labor Photo Project). Children are more likely to receive a harsher job than their parents. For example, some children may work in agriculture, working with dangerous chemicals and machinery, while their parents are making clothes (UNICEF). According to UNICEF, the vast majority of child labourers –70 percent or more- work in agriculture. A passage written by Luis Lopez- Calva in Journal of International Affairs: The poverty status of the household is related to the socalled “luxury icon” and the fact that parents under a certain minimum level of consumption or wages do not invest in education in order to obtain higher levels of current consumption. This is strongly related to the labor market conditions of the parents. Parents who work in low-quality, poorly paid jobs, tend to be more vulnerable to poverty and thus send their children to work. Companies can save money if they can make their product cheaper; therefore, they send it across the world to have it made. The cheaper a profit is to make; the more profit the business receives (Foster). To illustrate this, Walt Disney makes children’s clothes with Disney characters on them. Although it is a company that makes billions of Garcia 4 dollars a year, it pays child workers it Haiti, twenty-eight cents an hour (Child Labor and Sweatshops 18). There is no point of sending materials all across the world to be made, while making billions of dollars, and paying workers little or nothing. As a result of working ten to twelve hours a day, they have no time for school. Education is something everyone can benefit from. In America, children usually wake up to go to school; however, other children across the world, wake up to go to work. They are missing the opportunity to learn skills they actually need to earn a living (Child Labor Photo Project). Education is really important to everyone because it is something that cannot be taken away; moreover, it is not fair that the other children miss the chance to receive it. Consequently, the jobs that children have are unsafe and can physically injure them. Other jobs can morally effect children. For example, children as early as eight years old engage in prostitution, just for money (Child Labor Photo Project). Children should not even be thinking about that, but they have no one to teach them values. According to UNICEF, millions of girls work as domestic servants and unpaid household help and are especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. This can mentally mess up a child’s mind, if he or she thinks it is ok for it to keep happening, it is wrong. They may also become slaves to pay off their parents’ debt or participate in armed conflict (UNICEF). There is a solution to every problem , for example educating children so they can learn skills that will help them in the future, is one solution to ending child labor. The Garcia 5 Global Campaign for Education estimates that free, quality education for all children would cost ten billion dollars, the same as 4 days of global military spending (Continue to Learn)(error in quote). This would be a real opportunity for child workers, unlike Nike’s explanation of opp...