Child Labour in the World Today

Unfortunately, child labour is NOT a thing of the past... 

As of 2008, there were 215 million child labourers worldwide, 115 million of whom are engaged in hazardous work

 The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.
It refers to work that:

• is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and
• interferes with their schooling by:
• depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;
• obliging them to leave school prematurely; or
• requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

(from The International Labour Organization)

For information and ways to help, check out the links below:

• Free the Children
• International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour
• OneWorld Child Labour Guide
• UNICEF End Child Labour
• International Labor Organization short film
• Child Labour Documentary