Child Workers in Asia

About the Organization

Child Workers in Asia (CWA) is a small support group that developed in 1985. This small support group began working with a few NGOs, but in the last fifteen years it has grown from working with 5 organizations to now over 50 different organizations and groups. These groups and organizations work together to try and reduce child labor as much as possible in 14 different countries.[1]

Map of Asia

Other Organizations Involved with CWA

CWA is partnered with many organizations and groups across the Asian continent but some of the first ones they partnered with in 1998 are:

• Regional Working Group on Child Labour (RWG-CL)
• Save the Children Sweden Regional Office for Southeast Asia
• World Vision International
• Asia Regional Office
• Pacific Regional Office
• World Vision Foundation of Thailand
• ILO-IPEC Sub Regional Office for Southeast Asia
• UNICEF East Asia [2]

Child Labor

What is Child Labor?

Child Labor is defined as a child who is under 18 years old (this varies from country to country), who is working in an environment that can harm them physically and mentally. This includes possibly delaying or hurting their physical and mental development. Child labor is also defined by a child missing school in order to work, or having an excessive amount of work before or after school, which could interfere with their studies or sleep, which will ultimately effect their health.[3]

Categories of Child Labor

• Slavery - When a person is owned by another person or persons and made to do everything they want with no control over anything. They are made to stay with the people who own them, as soon as they are purchased or captured they have to stay with that owner.
• Forced labor - When a child is forced against their will to work (Fight, Cook, Clean) often if they do not listen and do what they are told they are abused or exploited.
• Child Trafficking - This is when offenders will take child against their own will and will illegally move them to another area to, mostly, be sold for forced labor or sexual exploitation. [4]

Objectives

• To promote the rights of working children within the contexts of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ILO Conventions related to child labour;
• To raise awareness and influence public opinion regarding child labour exploitation;
• To provide a channel of communication and facilitate the sharing of information, materials, experiences and resources among people and organisations who are involved in child labour issues at various levels;
• To co-ordinate action between NGOs in the region;
• To assist and facilitate the formation of support groups for child workers at the country level;
• To seek new ways for the protection of child workers and the prevention of child labour exploitation.

Programs and activities

Focused interventions (through sub-regional and regional Task Forces)

• Child Domestic Workers
• Bonded Labour in South Asia
• Children Migrant Workers and Trafficked Children

(Mekong region, South Asia)

Capacity Building for NGOs

• Participatory research with children
• Advocacy and social mobilization
• Children's Participation

Promotion of Children's Participation

• National Leadership Trainings for Child Workers (at least 6 countries)
• Regional Leadership Training of Child Workers
• Facilitators' Training at National Levels
• Development of Manuals for use in Promoting Children's Participation

Research, Documentation, and Information Dissemination

• CWA Newsletter - NGO and children's perspectives and experiences
• Research - children and education, children in agriculture, child labour policies, girl labourers
• Reports on Child Labour

Advocacy and Lobbying

• Participation in regional and international advocacy actions for children
• Regional workshops to discuss international instruments and their use for local campaigns and lobby
• Building of working relationships with regional and international policy and program formulating bodies.

Countries with Connections to Child Workers in Asia (CWA)

Some countries that are involved with Child Workers in Asia are:

• Bangladesh - In this country children are used as workers to do the following: Bidis, Bricks, Footwear, Garments, Glass, Leather, Matches, Poultry, Salt, Shrimp, Soap, Steel Furniture, Textiles and Textiles (jute). They also use forced labour on children to produce dried fish. [5]
• Cambodia - In this country children are used as workers to do the following: Alcoholic Beverages, Bricks, Manioc/Cassava, Fish, Meat, Rubber, Salt, Shrimp, Sugarcane, Textiles, Timber, and Tobacco. [6]
• India - In this country children are used as workers to do the following: Bidis, Brassware, Carpets, Cotton, Fireworks, Footwear, Gems, Glass Bangles, Incense, Leather Good, Locks, Matches, Silk Fabrics, Silk Thread, Soccer Balls, and Sugarcane. Some products that are made by forced child labor are: Bricks, Cottonseed (hybrid), Embellished Textiles, Garments, Rice, Stones and Thread/Yarn. [7]
• Indonesia - In this country children are used as workers to do the following: Fish, Footwear (sandals), Gold, Oil (palm), Rubber, Tin, and Tobacco. [8]
• Maldives - As of 2016 this country's government made improvements to their laws to eliminate child labor. This country integrating a hotline for children who are suffering from the worst forms of child labor, it is called the National Victim Support Hotline. With these improvements [9]
• Nepal - In this country children are forced to work to do the following: Bricks, Carpets, Embellished Textiles, and Stones. [10]
• Pakistan - In this country children are used as workers to do the following: Glass Bangles and Surgical Instruments. There are also some products that are made by forced child labor: Brick, Carpets and Coal. [11]
• Sri Lanka - In this country they have made laws and regulations to rid their country of child labor. They increased the compulsory age for schooling, it went from 14 to 16. But there were loopholes in the system. There were no regulations made for domestic work so children could work as a domestic worker from the ages 14 to 18. Which leaves them defenseless against offenders of sex trafficking. [12]
• Thailand - In this country children are forced to work to do the following: Pornography and Sugarcane. They also have two products that force child labor: Garments and Shrimp. [13]

These countries have come along way and in 2016 they made major advancements to try and eliminate child labor; by adding regulations and different laws. This worked for some countries but more work needs to be done. Even for Sri Lanka and Maldives, who now have decreased their level of child labor drastically, still have some flaws in the system that need to be worked on, but it is a start.[14]

References

1. "Child Workers in Asia". Asia Society. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
2. Hungerland, Beatrice (2007). Working to be Someone: Child Focused Research and Practice with Working Children. London UK and Philadelphia PA USA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. p. 203. ISBN 9781843105237.
3. "What is child labour (IPEC)". www.ilo.org. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
4. "The worst forms of child labour (IPEC)". www.ilo.org. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
5. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Bangladesh". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
6. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Cambodia". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
7. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - India". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
8. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Indonesia". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
9. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Maldives". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
10. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Nepal". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
11. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Pakistan". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
12. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Sri Lanka". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
13. "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Thailand". United States Department of Labor. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
14. "Child Workers in Asia | CRIN". www.crin.org. Retrieved 2018-05-02.