At the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources Subcommittee on Labor hearing entitled "Child labor and the new global marketplace: reaping profits at the expense of children?" several experts on labor issues proposed solutions to the problem of child labor. The most-emphasized idea is that of consumer voice. Boycotts of child-produced products are an excellent way for consumers to make their opinions known to large corporations. The Rugmark campaign in India is a good example of customer awareness: the Rugmark seal on a carpet means that it is certified to have been produced without the use of child labor. The support of campaigns such as Rugmark is a clear message to those companies which do rely on child labor: it indicates that not only are customers informed, but that they refuse to knowingly purchase goods made by children.
In the battle against child labor, there are degrees through which we must progress. One example of a creative solution to child labor being practiced in South America is a program called Tierra del Vido. A branch of the Swiss charity Sentinelles, it is a program which offers children alternative employment to the usual work in coal mines. The children still work, but they work outdoors, cultivating fruits and vegetables that will go to feed hungry children, and they have enough time to (and are actively encouraged to) attend school in the evenings. Although this program pays less than the coal mines do, it has been enormously successful, and there are many more applicants to the program than there are spaces available (McCarthy 13).
A third component in the fight against child labor is education. A basic education is what will enable children to obtain jobs other than those in coal mines or textile sweatshops. Educated children grow up to be educated adults, more able to provide for their families and therefore less likely to subject their children to the torture of child labor. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of child labor. "When basic education becomes accessible, relevant, and free, parents will understand that the education of their children is the best investment in their future, and children themselves will also be motivated to get an education."-Guido Bertolaso, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Children's Education Fund (UNICEF).
Fourth, trade laws which employ strict measures against child labor are needed. Forbidding companies which use child labor to participate in free-trade agreements is one economic strategy which could be used to combat child labor. "...if the U.S. is to continue the press for open markets around the world, we must--I repeat, we must--link free trade agreements and child labor protections."-Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. Senator Harkin is the sponsor of the Harkin Bill, which has failed several times to pass through Congress. The Bill makes stringent provisions against child labor.
With a combination of economic incentives and trade sanctions, education, consumer knowledge, and creative reemployment strategies, child labor can and will be stopped. To make your voice heard, go to our jump page and select Iqbal Masih's page.