DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SHOULD LEGALISE CHILD LABOUR

--- GOVERNMENT ---

--- OPPOSITION ---
According to The IGI Global – Developed countries are technically and technologically
advanced economies with a high human development index (HDI), high per capita income,
modern infrastructure, highly developed own industrial production and economy, and a high
standard of living.
Then, according to The International Labour Organization, The term "child labour" is often
defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity,
and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that:
 Is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or
 Interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;
obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine
school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.
In other words, Child Labor can also be defined as the use of children in industry or business,
especially when illegal or considered inhumane.
The number of child laborers in poor and hazardous jobs is not small. The International
Labour Organization (ILO) notes that there are currently around 400,000 child workers in
hazardous work, and informal sector child workers on the streets fall into this group.
In a broader scope, still, according to the ILO, there are around 1.7 million child laborers in
Indonesia. This is a fantastic number, for a country that already has various legal instruments
for the elimination of child labor in particular, as well as policies related to child protection in
general.
For example, Indonesia has ratified ILO Convention No. 182 on Pelarangan dan Tindakan
Segera Penghapusan Bentuk-Bentuk Pekerjaan Terburuh Untuk Anak with Undang-undang
Nomor 1 Tahun 2000. In 2002, Keputusan Presiden Nomor 59 Tahun 2002 was issued the
National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor. Indonesia has
also had a Law on Child Protection since 2002 (Law 23/2002) and revised in 2014 (Law
35/2014).

Child labour is a huge and prevalent problem throughout the world. Although the problem is
most widespread in the Third World, child labour exploitation is a long-standing issue that
affects both developed and developing nations.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), up to 352 million children
between the ages of five and seventeen are involved in some form of economic activity in
developing nations. At least half of the children are full-time employees. Between 15% and
20% of the children are under the age of. Many are working in situations that refer to the
Industrial Revolution's earliest times. They work in factories and warehouses, often at their
parent's request, in forced or bonded labour situations. They work in mines and brickworks,
making matches and fireworks. Pesticide poisoning and toxic gases, for example, are among
the dangers children face during work which affect them overall. Millions of children work in
the agriculture and fishing industries outside of factories. Countless other children work as
domestic maids or prostitutes.
And this is the negative impact of work on child development
Employing child labor is a violation of children's human rights because child labor always
harms children's physical, emotional, and social development.
A. The impact of work on children's physical development
Working as a child laborer can affect the development of their physical health because the
work they do can cause accidents and diseases. The impact of accidents on child workers can
be in the form of injuries or defects due to scratches, cuts, blows, bumps, and others, while
conditions that cause illness include workplace conditions that are too hot or too cold,
workplaces that are too noisy, inhalation of chemicals such as glue vapor, screen printing
paint vapor, workplaces that allow sexual exploitation and others.
B. The impact of work on children's emotional development
Child laborers often work in work environments that are exploitative, hazardous, degrading,
and demeaning. They often receive arbitrary treatment. The impact is that child laborers
become angry, vindictive, rude to peers or younger, and lack compassion for and feelings of
empathy for others.
C. The impact of work on children's social development
Child laborers who do not have the opportunity to play, go to school and socialize with their
peers, do not receive the basic education needed to overcome life's problems, do not have the
opportunity to interact with others and actively participate in society and enjoy life naturally
will usually grow up to be passive and selfish children, which often results in children
experiencing problems in interaction/cooperation with others and they lack confidence or feel
humiliated.

Child labor regulation is largely a national obligation. However, labor laws in most countries
restrict the employment of children below a certain age, but not enough to alleviate the
problem. According to the International Labor Organization, 55 countries have passed laws
restricting the employment of children in hazardous work situations or categories. Forced
labor and slavery, for both adults and children, are prohibited in almost all countries in the
world, both by constitutions and labor laws.
Here's what we can do to reduce child labor :
Spread awareness
Parents' understanding of the dangers of child labor can help prevent school disruptions and
forced child labor. Sometimes due to a lack of parental understanding, traffickers target
children, and many trafficked children end up working as child laborers. Awareness also
ensures that people can take advantage of opportunities for growth, education, employment,
and entrepreneurship, resulting in a more socially and economically developed society with
fewer children suffering. Various non-governmental organizations are trying to educate
people about the importance of children's rights through community activities, sports, arts,
and theater.
Sending more children to educational institutions
Almost every country has an educational system, but due to low enrolment, it faces the
challenge of poor literacy. Education instills in students a sense of teamwork and discipline,
which aids in their development as well as the nation's growth and development in the future.
Education teaches and molds a child's communication skills and assists them in working as a
team. Several initiatives are being implemented by organizations to increase the number of
youngsters enrolled in schools. Out-of-school children and those on the verge of dropping out
are tracked by the organization, which ensures that they are brought back into the educational
fold.

Supporting NGOs
Non-governmental organizations offer immediate aid to victims of child labour, while also
working for long-term societal change through policy change. The NGO works to ensure that
existing policies are implemented. They rescue thousands of children from child labour, in
the world's ongoing relief and rescue missions. Presently they focus on education and a new
life for millions of children affected by armed conflict and exploitation. The NGO works with
state or national level authorities or international level authorities, including various
departments of state to prevent child exploitation incidence in a world where the vulnerability
of children is high.
(https://blog.ipleaders.in/child-labour-in-third-world-countries/#Introduction)

As explained that children as a potential and young generation are obliged to continue the
ideals of the nation's struggle and ensure the existence of the nation in the future. To realize
these ideals, it is the obligation and duty of the previous generation to provide direction, and
guidance and provide the widest possible opportunity for children to progress and develop
and strive for the prevention and elimination of child labor in Indonesia in stages.
References
https://blog.ipleaders.in/child-labour-in-third-world-countries/#Introduction
http://dwellerofearth.blogspot.com/2015/08/faktor-penyebab-dan-dampak-negatif.html