Child Labour in Bangladesh

By Amrit Rai and Ashiki Shkur

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What is child labour?

According to World Vision child labour is defined as “the use of children in industry or business, especially when illegal or considered inhumane.” Child labour is very common in Bangladesh, 4.7 million kids between the ages 5-14 are in the work force. Even though these kids work about 64 hours a week, the working children earn less than $2 a day. 83% of these kids are employed in rural areas and 17% are employed in urban areas. Kids in Bangladesh are found in jobs such as agriculture, poultry breeding, fish processing, the garment sectors and the leather industries, as well as in shoe production. Unfortunately, the number of kids in child labour and in the work force in Bangladesh is constanly increasing due to economic barries.

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The Effects of Child Labour.

Studies have shown that child labour affects children physically and psychologically. Child labourers can suffer from long-term health problems due to malnutrition, exposure to chemicals, abuse, injuries, exhaustion and psychological harm. Child labour also affects labourers future and academics since their jobs interfere with their education or inhibits their physical mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Child labour also exposes kids to depression and the feeling of being isolated which often prevents them from continuing to develop healthy emotions as they grow.

Child labour is a very real and relevant issue which is affecting millions of very young children in Bangladesh. One of the main causes of child labor in Bangladesh is poverty. Children are forced to work for a living as opposed to spending their childhoods learning and playing. Children earn small sums for exorbitant amounts of work in factories or small shops. In 2006 Bangladesh passed a law saying the legal working age would be 14 years old but even with the law in place, child labor prevailed. One of the reasons child labor remained an issue within numerous communities was due to the fact that 93% of child laborers work in small factories or work from home-bases developments.

It is clear that child labor should be eradicated and children should be given education and access to a real childhood that does not involve exertion. Although the amount of child workers in Bangladesh is high, it is known that even if child labor were to cease in the country, there would not be a major economic decline. Meaning the amount of poverty and the economic state within the country is no longer a valid reason to keep young workers from going to school.

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Why Is Child Labour Still Happening?

Poverty is not the only reason for child labor in Bangladesh, additional causes include increased cost of education, illiteracy amongst parents or guardians, economy, inequality in pay and unknowing parents sending children off not knowing they are being put to work. There are also cases where some children feel pressured to find a job to support their families who may be unable to work or some children may feel pressure to find work due to traditional expectations of a male in the house providing for their family. Some families also feel that their children are better off earning a wage from a job than receiving an education.

Years and years of normalizing child labor in poverty ridden countries is what makes it so difficult to bring attention to how wrong some things that are going in these places are but we can not let it slide for any longer!.

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What Can You Do?

Educating yourself and learning more about this issue is the easiest and best way to support because educating yourself leads you to take action! You can learn more about Child Labour in Bangladesh by watching videos and the news, as well as reading articles about this issue. Secondly, you can use your voice to speak up by signing petitions, attending protests, sharing information and spreading awareness on this issue on your social media platforms.

Lastly, here are some organizations you can donate to that will help children in Bangladesh:

World Vision

Save the Children

UNICEF

World Vision UK

Global Fund for children