Advocacy Project: Child Labour, Rights, and International Issues

This project, completed for Early Childhood Studies, focuses on child labour as a critical issue impacting children's rights nationally and internationally. The assignment begins by defining child labour and its detrimental effects on children, including social, educational, and health consequences, emphasizing the violation of fundamental rights such as the right to play, education, and freedom. The project then reviews existing advocacy efforts, categorizing them into self-advocacy, group advocacy, peer advocacy, citizen advocacy, and professional advocacy, while also considering the role of children's participation. Each form of advocacy is critically assessed for its effectiveness, limitations, and impact on promoting children's agency. The project concludes by recommending further advocacy developments, drawing on insights from the analysis of current strategies and proposing solutions to combat child labour and protect children's rights. The assignment highlights the need for improved education, government intervention, and the adaptation of advocacy strategies to address the evolving nature of child labour. The project underscores the importance of advocacy in safeguarding children's well-being and future.

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Early Childhood Studies
Professor
Institution
Date

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Assignment Question: Advocacy planning for an issue impacting children’s rights,
nationally or internationally. Develop a video/infographic: introducing an issue of your
choice currently impacting children’s rights, reviewing existing advocacy efforts for the
issue, and making recommendations for further advocacy developments.
1) Significance
Introduction
Biologically, a child can be defined as a human being between the points of birth and
puberty or between the growing period of infancy and adolescence. The permissible
clarification of child usually refers to a slight, also known as a person who has not conquered
the age of popular. This narrows down to the need of protection of children since they cannot
depend own their own neither can they think independently (Valando and Amster 2012).
Children remain an important aspect of the society because they represent the face of the
future generations. No child should be left to suffer under any circumstance and it should be
the role of the government to ensure that children’s interest is always given utmost priority.
What is wrong and why it matters
• What is the issue?
The issue involves child labour that has adversely affected many children across the
world. It has become an issue that many would not want to imagine given that it is children
involved, this would make one emotional because it’s absolutely inhuman to expose children
to labour at their tender age (Rajan and Desai 2013). In this context, child toil deliberates to
the mistreatment of children through any preparation of work that repudiates the young ones
of their infantile, deters their aptitude to join school on unvarying foundation and is

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emotionally, ethically, actually and spiritually injurious. Such use is proscribed by legislation
across the world, though these laws do not anticipate all work done by children as child
labour; exclusions encompasses of effort on domestic responsibilities, directed training and
some preparations of child work knowledgeable by Amish children, and also by Innate kids
in the Americas.
Child labour has been in existence throughout history to varying levels. In the 19th and
20th periods, frequent children aged 4–13 since smaller families operated in Western
countries and their gatherings likewise. These children frequently operated in cultivation,
shops, mining, home based actions and facilities such as news boys while some worked night
alterations taking 12 hours. With the intensification of domestic revenue, convenience of
schools and application of child toil laws, the incidence rates of child labour plummeted.
Internationally the incidence of child labour condensed from 25% to 10% between 1960 and
2003, rendering to the World Bank. However, the total number of youngster workhands
remains high, with ILO and UNICEF accepting a predictable 168 million children aged 5–17
crosswise the world were taking in child labour in 2013 (Satyarthi 2016).
Primary causes
Intercontinental Labour Organization (ILO) has censured child labour on scarcity as the
main cause. For needy families, revenue from a child's labour is commonly important for
their endurance. Income from working children, even if negligible, may be between 20 and
40% of the domestic revenue. Other researchers such as Edmonds and Pavcnik on universal
youngster labour and Harsch on African youngster labour have extended to the same
assumption (Shelton 2013). According to ILO lack of important substitutes, such as cheap
schools and excellence education is another chief facet encouraging children to
disadvantageous toil. Kids toil since they have nothing well to do.

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Cultural causes
In European history when youngster labour was suitable, as well as in present youngster
labour of contemporary world, numerous cultural theories recognised child work and thereby
fortified it. Some regarded work as decent for the empowering and expertise progress of
children. In several cultures, mainly where the unceremonious low-cost and smaller domestic
businesses prosper, the cultural tradition is that youngsters follow in their parents' tracks;
child engagement then is a way of learning and performs that trade from an early age.
Similarly, in limitless ethos the education of girls is less appreciated and girls are accurately
not probable to necessitate official education and these girls are strapped into child work such
as doing the household tasks.
• How does it impact children’s rights and lives?
Working can affect a child’s social development because the child takes a lot of time
doing work instead being of with their peers in social play and learning how to interact
properly. Even adolescents involved in work are affected negatively. Teenagers spending
most of their time per week working are at a high risk of developing challenging social
conducts like aggression and drug abuse. The risks also extend to their educational and end
up dropping out (Parker, Fassa and Scanlon 2010). . Not being with their family members
most of the time while engaged in labour also hinders their social development and may lose
sense of belonging in the long run. Children need to form personal positive relationships so as
to feel confident and succeed. Using most of their time at work, even part-time, hinders the
children from appropriately developing these relationships, resulting to doubtful adults who
are also at a threat for other sensitive problems (Selby 2009).

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Children who are involved in labour also go through isolation and depression, which
frequently hinders them from continuing to develop fit emotions as they grow and can lead to
numerous physical impacts. They are at an advanced risk for developmental interruptions due
to the high health dangers both from unsafe working environments and from undertaking
physical tasks that are too technical for them ( O’Hare 2014). Children who labour extremely
are regularly smaller than those who are permitted to play. They are also at an advanced
danger of getting illnesses such as respiratory illnesses and are vulnerable to dangerous
chemicals that can also upset their physical development. Regularly, these children also lack
malnutrition which results to other severe health and mental disorders later in life.
• Why the proposed issue is important in the context of children’s rights?
A child just like any other human being is entitled to their rights. Given their tender age
they should be protected and not manipulated instead. The issue of child labour has been an
issue that various states have tried to eliminate because of its impact in a child’s life (Deva
2011). Child labour deprives many children their rights such as; right to play, right to social,
freedom of movement, right to rest. Children involved in child labour spends most of their
time working and this element infringes on their rights since they get less time with their
families, friends and other young children like them to interact with.
2) Review - Your critical review of existing advocacy
It is vital to know how various national laws define child labour so as to get understand
more why their strategies have failed in a bid to curb child labour. Different types of
advocacy have been used in the fight of child labour;

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Self-advocacy has been employed by individuals who have made their feelings known
about child labour. Such individuals have used the social media to sensitize people on child
labour. Some of the proponents against child labour are known worldwide for their stance on
this inhuman topic. Self-advocacy can be expressed through books, newspaper articles or
even through the social media platforms so as to send a message to others on one’s opinion
on child labour. This approach has not been very effective as a means of advocating for
children’s right because most of this individuals lack enough capital to finance their projects
towards eliminating child labour. This form of advocacy has been heavily criticized with the
critics citing lack of objectivity and commitment from the actors as expected of them.
Group advocacy has to some extent been effective because of the steps such groups take to
eliminate child labour (Fassa, Parker and Scanlon, J. (2010). Together they combine their
resources to achieve a common goal through created programmes. Such groups fighting for
children’s rights can be traced in Africa and many other states who have decided to help the
needy so as to eradicate the need for children to join labour force for them to survive. Group
advocacy however faces challenges since they cannot address all the issues in the society
with their limited resources. Sometimes the government frustrates such groups based on the
regulations and rules existing on such vital issues.at some point the groups sub-divide due to
difference in ideologies leaving them functionless and unable to achieve their set goals
(Chang 2011).
Peer advocacy- this form of advocacy has been less effective because it involves someone
speaking for others who cannot speak up for themselves, usually they are people of similar
age and understand where the problem emanates from. However, there have been few
instances where children in some countries have shared common goals of seeing child labour
eliminated. It’s very challenging for a child to fight for other children’s rights given their

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capacity. The limitation associated with this form of advocacy is that there is no much
involvement in push for reforms.
Citizen advocacy- this form of advocacy has existed for a long time now and perhaps
could be considered as one of the most effective ways of advocating for children’s rights in
relation to child labour. It involves many people who have a common objective toward a
certain problem. This form of advocacy can lead to reforms within a short time if carried out
appropriately (Hindman 2018). There is a group of people that can advocate for the children’s
right and actually citizen advocacy involves the state at large so it could be the most effective
form of fighting child labour.
Professional advocacy- it is more about advocating for particular rights using one’s
profession. A group of professionals like lawyers can come up and stand up against child
labour. They will be advocating for the children’s right and the same time making the public
aware that child labour is not acceptable.
Children participation has also greatly improved the advocacy for their rights. Some
children have been on the front line to make their fellow children know that they have a
future and rights like any other person and should not be exploited through unlawful labour
(Brady, Burton and James 2016). Such programmes where children address other children
have been carried out on Television programmes to help create awareness. Children lack the
capability to make informed judgements therefore they should be assisted in helping them
realise their rights in relation to labour laws. Actually children should be taught on this topic
so that they can be aware of the adverse effects of child labour and their rights, this way they
can participate actively in advocating for reforms.
The existing forms of advocacy have created room for children to be active agents in their
own, the use of social media to reach to other children and inform them of their rights. The

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children are also part of the change that is being advocated for (Hughes and Haworth 2013).
Some children have defied orders to work under conditions considered as hard labour and this
greatly encourages the others to avoid engaging in this kind of jobs. Children can be active
agents in many ways especially through motivating other children to desert child labour and
concentrate on their education (Boylan and Dalrymple 2009).
The existing advocacy promotes the image of childhood problems especially on the
children’s right. The advocacy tries to reflect what goes on in many countries and what
children go through during such moments in life.
The current advocacy can greatly be improved through employing more effective and
lasting solutions to eliminate child labour. The solution should be adapted to the continuously
changing trends in child labour.
Many scholars have called on governments to improve education so that children can get
a chance to go to school instead choosing to child labour (Moorman 2009). It’s the duty of
the government to ensure that all children are free and safe from any form of child labour as
argued by many writers in their attempt to show that children need help. There has been
outcry all over the world over issues pertaining to child labour but it has been hard to fight
the same yet other communities have adapted this as part of their custom. Fighting child
labour has become even more challenging as there are exemptions discharging some children
from international laws regarding child labour. Therefore, child labour still remains a
debatable issue, though for some it’s crystal clear that a child should never be exposed to
hard labour of any kind not even at their homes (Paradiž 2009). A centre or organisation
should be created where people can report cases of such nature.
An employer should comprehend the content of the national Labour Code and any other
laws that relating to child labour. It is unlawful for a company to fail to adhere to rules

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regarding minimum age and hazardous work. The international explanations for child labour
define the minimum age for diverse types of work, the worst practices of labour for those
under the age of 18 and the principles for light work. These descriptions are contained in
International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions on child labour: Convention No. 138
on Minimum Age for Work and Convention No.182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour
(Daele 2010).
In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of Children was approved and aided in reducing the
exploitation of children and required harmless working surroundings. They all functioned
towards the aim of ending the most challenging forms of child labour (Wilks 2012). Almost
all countries across the world have laws linking to and directed at stopping child labour.
International Labour Organization has assisted in setting international law, which most
countries have signed on and ratified.
3) Recommendations - Your Suggestions for future advocacy
Make recommendation for alternative or improved forms of advocacy. The positive
alternative to this problem will become the aim or goal of your advocacy work. This can be
general and long term.
• What type of advocacy would best for this issue?
They type of advocacy that would be best fit for child labour is citizenship advocacy given
that it is large and covers a large area; when many people are involved in a fight against
something it is more likely to be effective than when done one by person.
• Is there a viable solution to the problem? How can advocacy support this?

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There is viable solution to the problem. The laws and policies on child labour should be
strengthened and government entities reorganized so to deal with the problem of child labour.
Advocacy can support this through creating awareness and educating people on impacts of
child labour (Nogler, Pertile and Nesi, 2013).
• What role could children have in this piece of advocacy?
Children can be included to be part of the reforms though with guidance from adults so as
to encourage the other children that there is hope for them.
• Suggestions supported through children’s rights theories and advocacy process and
element. The suggestions are as follows:
Recommendation
In order to eliminate and prevent child labour, certain steps have to be taken by state actors
and other involved parties to address the issue. For instance customers can be encouraged to
boycott goods emanating from companies and factories which utilises child in their
production. This would deal big blow to such companies and their survival would be at tough
leaving them with no option but abolish child labour. Various national laws regarding child
labour can be reviewed so as to strengthen the implementation and the laws barring and
preventing child labour (Sloth-Neilsen 2016). Companies and factories should adapt should
adapt to checking required age before taking workers and this will ensure that children are
not employed. They can work coordinate with government agencies to get details on the
children’s background and age. It would also be prudent to identify hazardous work that
cannot be handled by children and subsequently exempt from work of such nature.

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Companies should be required to amend their hiring policies to encompass laws against
hiring children below the minimum age.
Other transformative recommendations include:
1. Stakeholders must take responsibility
Children do not work because they wish to; most parents would ideally prefer to have
educated children. Child labour is socially acknowledged when people see no other choice
but to send their children to labour. Governments must stand by internationally recognized
agreements, companies must hire adults instead of children and more importantly consumers
must not purchase goods manufactured by child labour.
2. Increased access to education
Eliminating child labour does not mean that children will habitually attend school.
Schooling can be costly, or of very meagre quality, therefore some parents contemplate
sending their children to work as the better alternative (Sharma and Herath 2012). Both huge
and lesser businesses can make their influence by raising awareness about the significance of
education in their workstations, communities, businesses or sectors.
3. Provide support for children
Children are also at higher health and safety danger in the workplace for a number of
reasons:
Lack of work experience – children are less likely to make knowledgeable judgments
given the little time they have taken doing jobs of such nature.

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Want to achieve more – children are eager to go the “additional mile” without
comprehending the risks involved. The risk could impact negatively on their health and
physical development.
Most are influenced by the unsafe health and safety behaviour from adults. They tend to
assume that they can do the same things as adults when left alone and this proves harmful
later. Might not be carefully trained and supervised.
4. Improve economic growth
More than 7.8 million Indian children are required to earn a livelihood even if they also
join school. Most of these children float away from the lane of education totally and end up in
child labour. This shows that the country lacks formally educated adults who can back the
process of nation-building and the country’s economic development.
5. Engage with the Sustainable Development Goals
There are 7 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted in 2015 and can
only succeed if people work towards it together. The sub-Saharan African region are among
those affected by conditions of severe poverty, crisis and state fragility, and by natural
tragedies and population dislocations connected to global climate change, which in turn are
best known to intensify the risk of child labour. Therefore if these goals are achieved, child
labour could become a thing of the past.