Child labour in Latin America: theory, policy, practice

Child labour remains a persistent socio-economic challenge in Bihar despite various legislative measures and welfare initiatives introduced by the Government of India and the Government of Bihar. This study examines the effectiveness of government policies and welfare schemes in reducing child labour in the state. It critically analyzes key interventions such as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, the Right to Education Act, the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and poverty alleviation programs. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining secondary data analysis from government reports, census records, and NSSO surveys with qualitative insights from field observations and stakeholder interviews. Findings indicate that while enrollment in schools has significantly increased due to educational incentives and awareness campaigns, economic vulnerability, migration, lack of strict enforcement, and socio-cultural factors continue to contribute to child labour, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. Welfare schemes have positively influenced school attendance and reduced hazardous child labour, yet informal sector employment remains a concern. The study concludes that although government initiatives have contributed to measurable progress, their impact is uneven across districts. Strengthening monitoring mechanisms, ensuring effective implementation at the grassroots level, enhancing livelihood opportunities for families, and promoting community awareness are essential for sustainable eradication of child labour in Bihar.

Child labor continues to exist as a problem specific to childhood worldwide. Children, considered disadvantaged groups, today face a wide range of risks. While sensitivity to child protection has increased, particularly after World War II, it is not yet at the desired level. States and international organizations continue their efforts to protect children. While these efforts have been effective to some extent, they have not met expectations, particularly in terms of reducing child labor. In this respect, the importance of sociological factors in reducing child labor comes to the fore. Sociology recommends examining childhood within the framework of social, cultural, economic, familial, and many other variables. When considered from this perspective, considering child labor within the framework of socioeconomic causes will facilitate understanding of the issue. The focus of this study is the family and the child. From birth, the child grows up within the family, and their identity is shaped by the values of that society. The society in which the child lives and the family’s perspective on the child have a shaping effect on all processes related to the child, especially child labor. This study conducted a socioeconomic analysis of child labor in Turkey, focusing on various social variables, particularly the family. A qualitative method was used in the study, and the dataset was developed using data from ILO, UNICEF, and TÜİK. Family, education, migration, economic, and regional variables were found to be influential in the emergence, perception, and resolution of child labor in Turkey.

tractor and the use of mechanical irrigation is increasing in the countryside. The significant policy issue is the role of government in encouraging or discouraging continued labor-saving mechanization. Present policy substantially encourages mechanization; diesel oil is available at prices considerably lower than those in many other countries; village banks provide farmers with equipment loans at rates below commercial levels; machinery is imported at favorable foreign exchange rates and is exempted from import duties. The most telling impact of these policies has been on the rapidly growing use of tractors and irrigation pumps, both of which are believed to displace labor, especially that of children. This article addresses the question of whether such changes have indeed had the desired effect on child employment and family size. Recent developments in the Egyptian agricultural sector also reveal significant changes in crop patterns. These favor fruit and vegeta

MotivationChild labour persists in the global South. After ratifying the International Labour Organization's Convention No. 138, on “the minimum age for admission to employment and work,” many southern countries have legislated minimum age criteria to fulfil their International Labour Organizations obligations. Often, however, making law has neither significantly reduced child labour nor boosted school attendance—largely because of states' inability to ensure compliance.PurposeWe investigate, using the case of Nepal, whether legal knowledge about minimum age standards among parents supplying, and employers demanding, child labour makes a difference to child labour.Methods and approachDrawing on data from communities in the Terai of Nepal, we use mixed methods to find correlations between legal knowledge, compliance with child labour laws, and prevalence of child labour. We draw on two novel data sets: a large household survey of parents and children, and a small census of owners of brick kilns, where child labour is often seen. We also make use of qualitative interviews with citizens in one community in the Terai.FindingsWe show that when parents and employers know the law on child labour, they are more likely to comply with it. Perceptions of the law also matter, independently of legal knowledge. When individuals know the legal working age and believe it is appropriate, we see even more compliance.Policy implicationsThese findings suggest that, even when enforcing the law may be difficult and costly, informing and educating parents and employers may be a less costly way to reduce child labour. Such measures would be even more effective if paired with efforts to change perceptions of the law.

A hard knock life

We analyse the geographic incidence of child labour in small manufacturing firms in Indonesia at the village level. Our unique data set covers virtually all Indonesian villages and urban neighbourhoods; it allows us to distinguish between demand and supply side determinants of child labour. We show by correcting for sample selection that a number of counterintuitive results – child labour being unaffected by credit access and school proximity – are the result of an interplay between supply and demand side determinants. Credit access and school proximity reduce child labour supply, but simultaneously constitute positive location factors for firms thereby increasing the demand for child labourers. To effectively reduce child labour, growth oriented policies, such as enhancing school and credit facilities, should be complemented by policies specifically geared towards increasing school attendance.

Although there is an extensive literature on the determinants of child labor and many initiatives aimed at combating it, there is limited evidence on the consequences of child labor on socioeconomic outcomes such as education, wages, and health. We evaluate the causal effect of child labor participation on these outcomes using panel data from Vietnam and an instrumental variables strategy. Five years subsequent to the child labor experience, we find significant negative impacts on school participation and educational attainment, but also find substantially higher earnings for those (young) adults who worked as children. We find no significant effects on health. Over a longer horizon, we estimate that from age 30 onward the forgone earnings attributable to lost schooling exceed any earnings gain associated with child labor and that the net present discounted value of child labor is positive for discount rates of 11.5 percent or higher. We show that child labor is prevalent among households likely to have higher borrowing costs, that are farther from schools, and whose adult members experienced negative returns to their own education. This evidence suggests that reducing child labor will require facilitating access to credit and will also require households to be forward looking.

Sherry L. Baron, MDa In the mid-1990s, I was on a temporary assignment through the Pan American Health Organization to Mexico City. During my assignment, I oversaw a collaborative training program in occupational and environmental epidemiology between the Pan American Health Organization and the Mexican Secretary of Health. Through this training pro gram, one student, Dr. Zoila L?pez Sibaja, developed a pilot project to better character ize work-related injuries to children employed in the informal sector. The growth of the informal employment sector throughout the developing world has the potential to place workers and especially child labor at particularly high risk for work-related injuries. According to the International Labour Organization, in Latin America during the 1990s, the urban informal sector was the primary generator of new jobs.1 The informal sector is defined by the International Labour Organization as either self-employed workers and their unpaid family members, or workers (either paid or unpaid) in very small businesses (fewer than 5-10 workers), apprentices, contract labor, home workers, and paid domestic workers. The employment conditions of informal workers are based mostly on casual employment relations rather than contractual ar rangements with formal labor protections, such as protection under child labor laws. A small but important part of the informal employment sector is street children.1 Street children is a term used for child laborers who work and live in the street and may or may not maintain contact with their families. Although street children face many health risks ranging from violence to drug use, an important priority is protecting them from working conditions that may damage their health and well-being, especially work-related injuries.2 In Mexico, the Federal Labor Law clearly prohibits child labor under age 14; from age 14-16, children may work if they remain in school. However, in 1994 the Mexican Statistics Institute (INEGI) reported that 34.3% of children younger than age 15 were working.3 A joint survey by UNICEF and the government of Mexico City estimated that during the same time period there were over 11,000 street children in the central area of Mexico City, of whom about 1,000 both lived and worked in the streets.4 To address the general public health problem of injuries, in 1994, Mexico established the System of Epidemiological Surveillance of Externally Causes Injuries (SVELECE), with the primary objective to count, analyze, and then prevent injuries. According to SVELECE, 13% of the injuries that occurred in 1996 happened in the 5-17-year-old group, and, of the injuries occurring in that age group, 5% happened in the workplace.5 Since this data may undercount injuries in children employed in the informal sector, my student's pilot study was designed to estimate the proportion of childhood injuries resulting from work with a focus on informal sector workers.

Does child labour increase unemployment and reduce labour force participation? Empirical evidence from Jordan

Child labour deprives children of their childhood and is harmful for their physical and mental development. In order to identify, prosecute and stop child labour the government has made numerous efforts. In 1986, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was passed which prohibited the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 83 hazardous occupations. In July 2016 the parliament passed the Child Labour(Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act 2016. This act amends the Child Labour( Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 by widening its scope against child labour and provides for stricter punishment for violations. This act calls for a complete ban on child labour, so that children can obtain compulsory primary education under RTE. In this paper an attempt has been made to critically analyze the various aspects of Child Labour(Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

Objective – This paper aims to analyze the Vietnamese legal framework on the prevention and abolition of child labor under the influence of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The study explores how EVFTA commitments, particularly those embedded in the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Chapter, shape Vietnam’s legal reforms, institutional adjustments, and enforcement responsibilities relating to child labor. Methodology – The research employs a qualitative approach based on analysis, synthesis, and comparison of secondary data, including international conventions, Vietnamese legislation, academic publications, policy reports, and EVFTA provisions. The study examines the interaction between trade law and labor standards using theoretical lenses such as legalization theory and normative diffusion. Findings – The results show that Vietnam has aligned key elements of its domestic legal framework with ILO Conventions Nos. 138 and 182 following the EVFTA. This alignment is reflected in the establishment of a statutory minimum working age, clearer prohibitions on hazardous work, strengthened child protection standards, and increasing attention to child labor data collection. However, significant enforcement challenges persist, including limited inspection capacity, inconsistent administrative reporting, a large informal labor sector, and socio-economic drivers that continue to push children into labor. Novelty – The originality of this study lies in its integrated analysis of Vietnam’s child labor regulations within the broader context of new-generation FTAs, highlighting how trade commitments can influence domestic labor governance. The paper contributes a legal-institutional perspective that links EVFTA obligations with practical implementation barriers, offering insights into compliance expectations shaped by recent developments in EU trade policy. Type of Paper: Review JEL Classification: F13; J83; J88; K31; K33. Keywords: Commitment to abolish child labor; EVFTA; Labor standards; New-generation FTA; Vietnamese law. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Thanh, N.Q. (2025). Vietnamese Law on the Prevention and Abolition of Child Labor under the Impact of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, J. Bus. Econ. Review, 10(3), 98–107. https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2025.10.3(1)

International capital flows and the operation of multinational enterprises (MNEs) are influenced by several socioeconomic and political factors. Among them, low labor cost is listed among the determinants that attract foreign capital, primarily foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, which in various cases is attributed to unskilled employees, including working children. Working children, mainly in developing countries, remain an important social issue which has attracted increasing research interest, as well as the coordinated efforts of international organizations. The present research aims to empirically investigate the interaction between FDI inflows and child labor in developing countries using panel data analysis. The paper includes an extensive literature review of related empirical research on the association between child labor and FDI inflows in developing countries. The novelty of the study is attributed to its effort to empirically investigate the causality between FDI and child labor in two geographic regions that present high rates of working children, namely sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. A sample of 42 developing countries from a period ranging from 1980 to 2019 was used and Granger causality tests were applied. The study concludes that there is a unidirectional causal relationship from FDI inflows to child labor in these regions and no causality was observed from child labor on macroeconomic independent variables. Several policies and proposals that will reduce or prevent child labor in the subsidiaries of multinational companies are included.

This article is an important step in describing and critically analyzing the contributions of the diverse Latin American body of theory and evidence on child labor. However, the power struggles noted by the authors within the academic field and political scene, or even among public policies decision-makers, are not exclusive and endogenous to this subject matter. Academic theories and definitions can also find resistance in broader political fields within and outside Latin America. For example, Maya Jariego describe in his study the organized resistance from a movement of working children who defend their rights to work against an intervention to prevent child labor in Peru. Future research can benefit from approaches that recognize the complexity of child labor and uses system approaches to integrate current knowledge and theory in the search of more acceptable, effective, feasible and sustainable responses to the problem.

Studies on Kenyan and Ugandan primary schoolchildren's knowledge of medicines and self-treatment practices show that children aged between 10 and 18 years have a broad knowledge of herbal and biomedical remedies and that they use them frequently, often without adults' involvement. They use pharmaceuticals, including prescription-only drugs, but lack knowledge about indications and dosages. There is a gap between the children's life worlds and the school health education as it is presently designed and taught in Kenya and Uganda. It limits itself to disease prevention and health promotion, and does not teach treatment or medicine-use. Self-treatment based on insufficient knowledge poses a threat to children's health and to the health of the wider community. Therefore, education on the critical and appropriate use of medicines needs to be developed and tested for possible use in Kenya, Uganda and other countries in which home-treatment is common. The proposed education on medicines should go beyond providing information on accurate dosage and indication: it should create critical awareness with regard to medicine-use, enabling children to use them appropriately and cautiously. Kenyan and Ugandan primary schoolchildren are active agents within pluralistic medical fields. By taking the children seriously as competent health care agents, the dangers of self-treatment could be reduced, and the potential of children could be guided to fruitful use. Educational interventions cannot solve the problems of self-treatment, which are related to the wider social and economic context, but they could contribute to increased awareness as a necessary condition for change.

This chapter is not about the development of the child; I am making this clear from the outset because the title could easily be misinterpreted that way by the readers who are unacquainted with social studies of childhood. Although ‘development’ and ‘child’ are familiar concepts, which combined in notions of ‘development of the child’ or ‘child development’ are parts of a century long, successful and dominant discourse, the notion of ‘development of childhood’ is rather begging questions, such as if there at all is such a thing as a theory of childhood development and if we need it. To my mind the brief answer to the first question is ‘no’, but quite a few authors have made thoughtful formulations about it and about generational relations without necessarily having intended to be theory builders (cf. Alanen, 2009). The answer to the second question is ‘yes’, I believe we need such a theory to come to terms with how children's life worlds have changed and how they have related to contemporaries belonging to other generations – adulthood, youth and old age.