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Child Labour In Ethiopia Essay

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Introduction Child labour is a very real problem in the world today, and although it is declining, progress is happening at a slow and unequal pace. Child labour by the International Labour Organization is defined as “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development (Diallo, Etienne, & Mehran, 2013, p. 2).” In the most extreme forms of child labour it could account for child enslavement, separation from their families, exposure to serious hazards and illnesses and being left to fend for themselves on the streets (Dinopoulos & Zhao, 2007). In order for certain types of work to be included as “child labour” depends on the child’s age, the type of work, …show more content…

To further my argument I will use Ethiopia as a case study to show how globalization has provided the push for countries to acknowledge the problem of child labour and create actions to fix it. This paper will be divided as follows: firstly I will provide a brief background on child labour in the world; secondly I will provide the situation in Ethiopia; thirdly I will present the actions that the government has placed to combat child labour in accordance with my argument; lastly, I will give my recommendations regarding the implications of the actions of the Ethiopian government. Child Labour in the World Today In 2008, there were approximately 215 million child labourers, aged 5-17, in the world. According to the International Labour Organization, the number of child labourers globally fell by 3% from the years of 2004-2008 which is slower in comparison to the 2000-2004 period that had an 11% decrease (Diallo, Etienne, & Mehran, 2013).There has also been a 15% decrease in the number of girls in child labour in contrast to boys who are having their work increase (United Nations, 2013). Among them, 115 million children were in hazardous work which includes: prostitution, agriculture, mining, militia, construction, manufacturing, service industries, hotels, bars, and domestic service (Cigno, Rosati, & Guarcello, 2002). The terms “hazard” and “risk” are often used with this type of child

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