This photo feature about child labor in the Collective Lens Blog (via BlogBharti) left me so depressed. The look on this girl’s face and the smile she is trying to bring up on her face made me feel so painful.
The sad fact is that these children have to work to stay alive; if they don’t work, they don’t eat. But, that does not mean that they have to be exploited. In Bangladesh, with one of the largest collections of non-governmental organizations and international agencies in the world, it is shameful that millions of my countrymen live on the edge of extinction.
Horrible as all this may sound, it is important to understand that for many children, earning a living or supplementing their family’s income is a matter of survival. Slogans like “Stop Child Labor” embody romantic and ultimately impractical notions when it comes to places like Bangladesh. Instead of trying to abolish child labor by boycotting goods made by children, governments and civil societies should help create safer working environments for children, ensure that systems are in place to monitor abuse, and provide education, life-skill training and decent pay. [via]
What can be possibly done about child labour? Many of these children and their families LIVE with what they earn (even if it is less than a dollar a month) through their horrible work condition. So is it a viable solution to outrighly ban the child labor? Can something be done to at least provide them better jobs and dignity of labor and fair wages?
Any thoughts?
Just Jo 
There is a huge difference between passing laws and enforcing them. This is especially true of contentious issues such as child labor and prostitution wherein corruption plays a huge role in impeding law enforcement (this is especially true of the 3rd world). IMO, the best way to regulate something is to provide it legal protection. So instead of saying “ban child labor”, the creative approach would be to embrace it (simply because there is no way around it) and have laws that enforce labor standards and mandatory schooling, etc (perhaps paid for by the employer?) for children who have to work for a living.
have laws that enforce labor standards and mandatory schooling, etc paid for by the employer for children who have to work for a living.
Exactly!