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Essay / The advantages and disadvantages of child labor in a globalized world
Table of contentsIntroductionDisadvantages and advantages of child laborAdvantagesDisadvantagesConclusionIntroductionThe United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 years. Child labor therefore means engaging anyone under the age of 18 in productive and paid work. The International Labor Organization (ILO) “defines child labor as work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and interferes with their education by depriving them of the opportunity to go to school; force them to leave school prematurely; or forcing them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and arduous work. Statistics on child labor vary from one region or country to another. Countries with weaker economies have a higher prevalence of child labor. Child labor mainly affects children aged 5 to 18. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Globally, there are 152 million children, of which 88 million boys and 64 million girls are victims of child labor. The ILO is concerned, however, that cases of girls working as children are under-reported due to the complexity of the work they carry out. Most girls work in domestic services, while boys work in industries or on production sites where data is easy to capture. Additional statistical information shows that approximately 73 million children work in hazardous environments. A more recent report released by the United Nations in 2019 identified that 218 million children were working. The UN also gave the regional distribution of these cases, with Africa accounting for 19.6%, Asia 7.4%, Arab countries 2.9% and the Americas 5.3%. The fight for children's rights has been waged on a global scale, but figures released by the international organization show no substantial success. The main question therefore concerns the advantages of child labor. Why has this illegal practice flourished despite concerted efforts by various stakeholders to put an end to it? Disadvantages and Advantages of Child Labor The Advantages Child labor has survived the times and storms that have raged against it, mainly because of the economic benefits attached to it. The main benefits of child labor include: Reduction in industrial action. Most companies are interested in child labor because they are unaware of their rights and therefore would not oppose unfair practices. Companies exploit this vulnerability and naivety to the fullest to harness their energies and achieve the highest profits (UNICEF para 6). In some cases where children are sold into slavery, they provide free labor and the organizations make 100% profit. Working children help support their families. Children from low-income families, particularly in Africa, Asia and Arab countries, work mainly to supplement their work. their parents' meager income. Most of them use their income to pay school fees for their younger siblings. In short, child labor helps increase household income and thus helps improve living standards in the short term. Child labor helps children become..