This article highlights international concern over hazardous child labor and the continued exposure of millions of children to dangerous work.
Drawing on International Labour Organization findings, it notes that despite broad international commitments to combat the worst forms of child labor, the problem remains deeply rooted because of poverty, weak enforcement, and the pursuit of profit at the expense of children’s safety and dignity.
The piece warns that children working in dangerous environments face death, injury, disease, and psychological trauma, and stresses that the natural place of every child is in school, not in exploitative labor. It calls for stronger action by governments and international institutions to expose abusive practices and protect children from hazardous work.
