3071-The political economy of new slavery

Rachel Nizan 141
choice of social values and objectives [as well as having to chose] the
social problem that should be eliminated’ (Myers, 1999, p. 22). Is it child
labour that should be eliminated, or rather the causes leading to it?
Furthermore, it might not do justice to all the issues involved in the
debate, for example, the reasons why children work, which can differ
according to local factors, 9 or the reasons for wanting to eliminate child
labour, for example, protectionist agendas. Such agendas are particularly
important in the context of increasingly globalized economies, where
LDC economies are supposed to be open to international trade, yet at
the same time international standards on child labour are used to the
detriment of LDC exports. An often cited example is the Harkin Bill 10
which calls for the boycott of goods produced with child labour (Basu,
1999).
Reasons why children work
In order to be able to combat at least the worst forms of child labour, it
is important to understand why children work. The main – and most
frequently mentioned – reason for child labour is poverty and the lack of
alternatives for children from poor families, especially where education
and the ensuing investment in human capital are concerned. 11
As with income distribution, access to education is very unequal in
Latin America, although primary education is constitutionally guaranteed
in the region. 12 For many children and their families good-quality
and affordable education is not available. In addition, there are hidden
costs, such as school uniforms, books, transport, and most importantly
the loss of the child’s income (Ennew, 1994). The child’s salary might be
needed to support family income or to pay for its education. To combat
this problem the International Programme for the Eradication of Child
Labour (IPEC) 13 developed the Bolsa Escola programme in the Federal
District of Brazil, which compensates families who send their children
to school (López-Calva, 2001). As parents do not incur extra costs or
losses by sending their children to school, the programme has been very
successful in increasing the rate of children in primary education and in
combating child labour. 14
Other important factors concerning child labour are the lack of awareness,
indifference and cultural traditions. In many societies and cultures
child labour is perfectly acceptable, regarded as having a socializing
and educative function. In this sense it is understood as a valued and
meaningful activity which prepares children for adult life.
Work, however, becomes a problem when it is hazardous and exploitative.
A further problem is the ignorance and lack of political will to