On this page, we will be telling you more about child labor. Things will be added daily.
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Interview With Bianca Gonsalves
One of our tasks was to contact an expert, so here it is!
Here is my groups interview with an expert named Bianca Gonsalves.
Hi Alec,
Here are my answers to your three questions. I apologize for the delay in getting back to you.
1. What can I do to stop child labour?
There are many very important things young people such as yourself can do to address the issue of child labour. I believe the most important thing you can do is to be informed about child labour and the realities many working children face in countries around the world. For example, you can find out what your Government might be doing to address this issue and learn about what sorts of protections exist for children, namely under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ILO Convention No. 182. Canada has ratified these Conventions so you can find out what is being done in Canada to implement them. You can also talk to businesses involved in the production of goods and ask them what measures they take to ensure that the goods they produce are child labour free.
Information is very powerful. Being informed puts you in a position to raise awareness and sensitize others around you as to what you can do together to bring about positive change. There are many ways you can translate information into action that can have a meaningful impact within your own community and beyond, to promote and protect the rights of children who are engaged in child labour.
2. In one word, describe child labour. Why did you choose that word?
In one word: harmful. Child labour refers to work that harms children’s well-being and hinders their education, development and future prospects. UNICEF estimates there are millions of children around the work who are engaged in work involving hazardous situations or conditions, such as working in mines, working with chemicals and pesticides in agriculture or working with dangerous machinery.
That said, not all work performed by children is considered harmful or unacceptable. It is important to recognize that the world’s working children are made up of a very large group of people who live under diverse circumstances, each with different interests and their own perspectives on the work that they do.
Many experts agree that non-harmful work can provide a child with an income, a sense of accomplishment and valuable skills that are beneficial to their development. Non-harmful work children may be involved in is often part-time, does not prevent them from going to school and is not dangerous to their physical and mental health. This type of work would not be considered child labour. Given this complexity, it is important to understand the context in which many children around the world are involved in work, and it is equally important to seek working children’s own views on the matter, in order to distinguish between harmful and non-harmful child labour.
3. What are the most dangerous jobs children can be involved in?
The most dangerous jobs children can be involved in are outlined in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 on Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (known in short as the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour or ILO Convention 182).
ILO Convention 182 (adopted by the ILO in 1999, and ratified by Canada in 2000) applies to boys and girls under the age of 18. It defines the worst forms of child labour as:
All types of slavery, including the sale and trafficking of children; forced labour to pay off a debt; any other type of forced labour, including using children in war and armed conflict;
All activities which sexually exploit children, such as prostitution, pornography or pornographic performances;
Any involvement in illegal activities, especially the production or trafficking of drugs;
Any work which could damage the health, safety or well-being of children (so called “hazardous work”).
For more information on child labour, you may wish to visit the website of the International Labour Organization’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour. This site has a great deal of information on child labour and what young people can do to take action against child labour.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me, either by email or by phone.
Best of luck with your assignment,
Bianca
