Child Labor in Africa Essay Example

a large presence in the African market and it is vital that this type of research be conducted promptly in order to ascertain the true seriousness of the issues that reside with child labor on this continent.

Just as there are small amounts of research as to the impact of child labor, there is also now a growing need to research the significance of the many causes and issues with child labor. Whether it is poverty, governmental, environmental, military, or otherwise related, these factors all play prominent roles in this topic and are the prevailing factors that ultimately lead to a child working in the commercial markets. Due to the continuing rise in numbers of children that are at risk for disease, poverty, exploitation, whether sexual or in labor, it is important to raise awareness.

These children that are subjected to labor struggle through many hardships and various forms of hostile environments. More often than not, child labor significantly raises an African child’s risk of death and also increases their risk of being exposed to things like human trafficking, severe injury, or even worse.

There needs to be a heightened sense of these clear issues with child labor and there also needs to be a sense of urgency to put into place a policy, or policies, which will ultimately reduce the risks, if not eliminate the risks, entirely. The children of Africa should not be subjected to this type of danger, mortality, and abusive laborious conditions that they endure.

Discussion

As a whole, child labor poses numerous problematic issues for the overall development of the human brain and body. However, when it comes to child labor in Africa, it is

symbiotically intertwined with its social and economic development in a “cause and effect” type of relationship. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 20).

In fact, when a child is forced to become employed, as opposed to building an education through the school system, it is often as a result of necessity in order to provide food, security, and healthcare for themselves or similarly situated family members. Therefore, the poverty situation in Africa has a direct, and unfortunate, correlation with labor of children of all ages.

Importantly, the children that are subjected to labor are becoming younger and younger. Recent statistics even indicate that almost 30 percent of children within the age of five and fourteen were considered to be economically active in the Sub-Saharan African region. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 23). The question becomes then: why children are, especially those so young, having to work? The answer is complex and has many factors associated with it.

One of the primary issues, if not the major issue, relates to poverty within these African countries. Overall, there is a general decline in the capacity of adult family members to be able to work and support the family and children. As a result, children are often utilized to take jobs to make financial “contributions to support the household” costs of eating, healthcare, education, and more. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 24).

In fact, it is widely agreed upon that the “child labor is likely to increase in Africa into the foreseeable future, primarily because the children of their families rely on the income they earn to subsist,” among several other needs as well. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 28).

Unfortunately, one of the most common and most

dangerous issues that child labor subjects these children to is human trafficking. With regards to child trafficking in Africa, it is not exclusively the exploitation of sex either. Many children are seized into domestic and commercial work, or even to work on farm plantations, or as beggars. This has been analyzed and assessed as a “contemporary form of slavery.” (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 29).

Studies suggest that child trafficking is becoming more and more popular and has even progressed well beyond a transnational level. Many African countries, and surrounding countries not located on the African continent, have now recognized this type of transnational crime and its unfortunate popularity. As a result, there are now a bevy of newly implemented laws, statutes, and codes against this type of illegal immigration and abuse. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 29).

In other instances, it is a choice of the family to send away their children. These child traffickers are targeting the children who are associated with poorer, less educated families with less opportunities and are borderline in desperation mode just to survive.

Some parents are persuaded by these human traffickers in an effort to “earn some extra income,” but these parents or their children ever receive such financial benefits. (Harsch, 2001). For instance, in 2004, approximately 70 children were discovered in Ghana to have been sold by their parents as forced labor to fishermen “for a total of US$180.” (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 29).

Like everywhere else in the world, education and the overall school system is a critical component of a child’s life in Africa. Arguably, this is even more important in Africa in particular due to their already limited educational system

that is offered to its people. In its entirety, there are “too few schools, both for the number of children in towns and for the scattered nature of rural settlements,” which applies to almost every country on the continent. (Bonnet, 1993, p. 376).

Moreover, due to the scarce amounts of educational locations and resources, larger amounts of children are forced to share what teaching and tools they have at any chance they get. Some students do not even have the opportunity to attend school at all, whether it be for financial reasons (i.e. it is too expensive), or it is simply too far in terms of distance and they do not have the time to split with their work.

Significantly, African parents are looking to their children as a way to carry on their history and ancestry. (Bonnet, 1993, p. 377). This is true in the educational sense as well. However, due to poverty, seasonal work, or otherwise, the children are being employed in an effort to combat the family’s poor financial situations.

For those children that cannot attend school or are unable to take advantage of the limited opportunities afforded to them, they often become involved in child labor in some type or another. It is important to clarify that many child laborers do not leave the educational system by choice or as a result of ignorance, but instead as a means to support their families. (Bonnet, 1993, p. 379).

Lastly, for those children that are forced into labor, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, they are missing out on opportunities to develop important social skills for their mental development that would also be accomplished in an education setting. Often

times, people develop social skills by creating relationships with new and different types of people from their peer group.

Many of these social traits cannot be developed the same from being simply around their family or even within the context of an industry atmosphere designed to turn a profit. Moreover, the exploitation of child labor in general is not conducive to developing ideal social qualities in children, especially when the labor itself is harsh or potentially even forced.

The hostility that is typically associated with child labor in Africa is not intended to create better workers or people. In addition, the children in the labor force are not there to make these types of social interactions, they are there with the intent to survive, by any means necessary.

Another common form of child labor in Africa is the utilization of children to amass a military of dedicated and dependent workers. Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, children are used in many armed conflicts all throughout the continent. These children are recruited by various sources, such as the residing “government and opposition or rebel forces.” (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 30).

Predominantly speaking, the types of children that are specifically sought out and targeted to join voluntarily are the same types of kids that are used in “exploitative forms of labor in peacetime.” (Kempe Ronald, 2005, pp. 30-31). Naturally, the children that are in desperate need of food, water, healthcare, money or otherwise, tend to migrate towards the military option in order to receive these benefits for themselves and their families.

However, there are numerous of instances where these children are even abducted during a rebel’s raid of a tribe or village against his

or her will. Regardless of form, the reality is gruesome for these militant children that are being exploited.

When the children are utilized in this military context, they are not often exposed to many dangerous situations. The children will fight on the front lines of battles, serve as spies, lay and clear landmines, serve as running messengers, serve as servants, or even as sexual slaves for other more mature soldiers. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 31). Inherently, all of these tasks are dangerous and come with severe consequences.

More times than not, these children suffer from both physical and mental trauma. As previously referenced above, these children are also missing out on opportunities to gain valuable education. In addition, many of these children are prone to forms of sexual slavery and rape, simply due to their age, regardless of their gender or even age. Clearly, there are numerous extreme risks associated with child labor, including even in the military context for these children.

The first solution, and arguably the most effective and efficient solution, is to implement more stringent laws with harsher consequences. As was previously referenced, many countries within and around the African continent, have recognized the significant dangers and trends of abuse that revolve around child labor. Of which, many of these nations have implemented a myriad of regulations and laws that hope to mitigate these inherent risks.

For instance, all countries have agreed upon, and have ratified, the “Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that was adopted by the United Nations in 1989.” (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 34). Moreover, many African countries have taken internal measures to help combat this increasingly popular crisis, such as

the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which was subsequently adopted in 1992. (Kempe Ronald, 2005, p. 34).

As the issue draws more attention and awareness, hopefully all of the nations will follow suit to implement new regulation which help deter, or even eliminate child labor and the related issues, such as child trafficking.

Another potential solution, which would either mitigate the risk or reduce the number of child laborers, is to reorganize the educational structure and provide a much-needed emphasis on its importance. This can be accomplished in a variety of complex ways, but the first major concern would be to readjust the school system to “the agricultural seasons and not become overly ambitious.” (Andvig, 1999, p. 26).

By adjusting to the farming seasons, the children can attend the classes without having to run the risk of missing out on financial opportunities. Often times, children must drop out of their educational programs in order to help work full time with their family or employer in order to meet the market demands and help turn a profit. Moreover, another educational adjustment that needs to become necessary is the analysis of how far a school is for these children.

If the distance is too great, many children, or their families, will not be as motivated to send their child to school due to the financial or nutritional costs that become associated with it. Therefore, the financial costs or similar nutritional costs should be reallocated in order to allow those that normally could not afford the financial burden, the opportunity to do pay what they could and receive the education.

Lastly, the family structure plays a huge role

in these children’s lives, and therefore, a policy should be put into place. However, it “is a notoriously difficult area of policy,” due to the high potential of the government having to physically control the aspect of African families’ lives and even their economy. (Andvig, 1999, p. 27).

It is certainly not hard to create the policies to combat this type of problem within the family life structure, but the implementation and enforcement of consequences for failing to adhere to these policies, is a nightmarish struggle for any administration or government. As a result, it is difficult to put together any form of regulation or policy that would prove to be truly fruitful without a higher level of funding, manpower, effort, and initiative to see a task like this into fruition.

Conclusion

In summary, the trend is clear, and studies have proven, “that children who supply labor in the market are among the poorest in the country,” and are inherently exposed to numerous, controllable risks. (Andvig, 1999, p. 31). Raising awareness of child labor issues in Africa is a great initial step towards a future which is void of such a problem, however it is simply not enough.

More empirical research must be done to help raise this awareness. Moreover, there must be a new determined and enthusiastic effort to want to end these child labor issues in the way of reform, regulation, and reducing the level of poverty. Poverty is the major, if not overall cause of child labor, in essence. By helping these countries to improve their economy and their financial situations, “the extent of child labor will eventually decline,” as well. (Andvig, 1999, p. 31).

References

1. Andvig,
   

J. C., Canagarajah, S., & Kielland, A. (1999). Child labor in Africa: The issues. Unpublished mimeo. World Bank, Social Protection Sector.