Introduction to Child Labour and Child Domestic Work

Introduction to Child Labour and Child Domestic WorkTeachers Information SheetWhat is child labour?Across the world, children work in many situations and for many different reasons. Not all work that children dois necessarily bad or harmful. Children may learn useful skills and develop their experiences at work and theymay be able to combine work with school. But over 200 million children aged between 5 and 17 (i.e. around 1in every 8 of the world’s children) have a very different experience. For these child labourers, work impedestheir education and is often harmful to their health and development. In its very worst forms child labour can beslavery, which includes children who are trafficked, in debt bondage or forced labour, or those forcibly recruitedfor use in armed conflicts, prostitution, pornography and illicit activities.Where in the world do children work?Children work all over the world. Of the world’s 215 million child labourers it is estimated that:• 113 million are in the Asia-Pacific region (just over 50 per cent of the world’s total). This means that one inevery eight of all Asia’s children are working;• Sub-Saharan Africa has 65 million (30 per cent of the world’s total). This means that one in four of allchildren in Sub-Saharan Africa estimated to be working;• Latin America and the Caribbean has 14 million working children. This means that one in ten children in theregion are working;• All other regions (Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America) have 13.4 million working children(but this figure also includes children engaged in ‘positive’ work that is not harmful to their development).Who are child domestic workers?The ILO estimates that there are 15.5 million child domestic workers across the world.Child domestic workers are under 18 years old and are working in households other than their own, doingdomestic chores, caring for children, tending the garden, taking care of animals, running errands and helpingtheir employers run their small businesses, among other tasks. This includes children who ‘live in’ and thosewho live separately from their employers, as well as those who are paid for their work, those who are not paid,and those who receive ‘in-kind’ benefits, such as food and shelter.Ninety percent of child domestic workers are girls.According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) there are more girls under 16 in domestic servicethan in any other category of child labour.How and why do children get into domestic work?Poverty is the main reason children are pushed into domestic work.“I came with my mum, she left me at my aunt’s house, she told me I was going to stay there because it wasbetter for me, because at home we didn’t have so many things.” (Ana Monica, Peru)Conflict and natural disasters, HIV/AIDS and economic globalisation are all factors that are forcing morepoverty-stricken young women and children into domestic work far from their homes.“Because all the members of my family except my old grandma passed away [due to conflict] and I had to earnbread for myself and grandma.” (Sunita, Nepal)Gender inequality means that domestic work is assumed to be a woman or a girl’s role and it is therefore notseen as real ‘work’. Very few countries have legislation that protects domestic workers from exploitation in theworkplace. Although domestic work is important in helping society to function properly, it is made invisiblebecause it is so commonplace and ordinary. In turn, child domestic workers are invisible to the rest of society.Culture and traditions around domestic service see the practice of child domestic work as normal, andindeed, beneficial for girls who will one day become wives and mothers. Many employers, far from seeingthemselves as exploiters, consider that they are helping the child and her family by taking her in. But at the

“I did not like my employer because she would shout at me, call me a ‘Tai’ [shit] and ‘Anjing’ [dog]. Why am Ibeing treated this way? I could not stand my employer’s treatment of me.” (Evi, Indonesia)No access to schoolingAlthough child domestic workers generally place a lot of importance on their schooling, their work presents aserious obstacle to studying. Commonly, this is simply because employers do not allow them to go to school –or break initial promises to do so.The employers promised me so much…. they told my parents they will send me to school. But did not. I feltvery lonely. (Shanta, India)Even when child domestic workers are given the opportunity to go to school, the long working hours andrequirements of their job often make it impossible to take up a school place or they end up dropping out asthey have little time for homework and are too tired to study properly. Because of these problems they arediscouraged from returning to formal education because of the need to earn money for their families.“Even if my employer encouraged me to go to school, I decided not to enrol because I wanted to save moneythat I can send back to my family.” (Grace, the Philippines)Hazardous workChild domestic workers are exposed to a variety of household dangers. Hazardous household chemicals (suchas cleaning fluids), kitchen knives, irons, boiling water and the use of unfamiliar household appliances havecaused many child domestic workers serious injuries and even death – especially amongst younger childrenand those already exhausted from a full day’s work. There are also likely to be long term health impacts ofchronic sleep deprivation, and being ‘on-call’ 24 hours a day, as well as effects resulting from heavy tasks suchas water collecting.“The basement was full of water, where we had to sleep, so we slept on the same wet floor. We had heardthere will be a leakage of electricity on the wet floor so we were frightened to sleep. We kept on mopping thefloor in order to be able to sleep. The owner came at 4am when we were mopping the floor and said ‘maketea for me’.” (Priya and Shruti, India)What protection exists for child domestic workers?ILO Minimum Age Convention 138 – this legislation sets out the minimum age that children are allowed to startwork (under certain conditions). In most countries this is 14 or 15 years old. In some countries domestic workis specifically excluded.ILO Worst Form of Child Labour Convention 182 – this convention focuses on the types of child labour thatshould be abolished as a priority. While child domestic work is not specifically abolished in this convention assuch, certain working conditions that many child domestic workers face are considered harmful i.e. workingthrough the night, or work where children are under the control of their employers.The ILO has recently adopted a new international convention to protect domestic workers - Convention 189 onDomestic Work. Although the focus of the convention is on adult domestic workers, the convention highlightsthe central role of education in the protection of child domestic workers from exploitation and recommendsspecial measures for child domestic workers to protect them from abuse and exploitation.‘A new law would give us strength to report abuse’ (Jennifer, Philippines)‘I want that, by the help of God, we domestic workers may become independent and successful. May ourcurrent suffering stop, may it not be forever’. (Frederick, Togo)Please see the Powerpoint presentation of photographs of child domestic workers.For more information on child domestic workers see Children Unite’s website:www.childrenunite.org.uk/child-domestic-work/