Child Labor in the Cotton and Textile Sectors

Source: &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(2263)%>" target="_blank">www.icac.org

Abstract

Information on child labor in the cotton and textile sectorsis scarce and fragmented. This article attempts to raise awareness on thisissue by compiling and summarizing the available evidence on the magnitude andeffects of child labor in the cotton and textile sectors and the actions put inplace to eliminate it.

Introduction

Child labor is usually understood as work that harmschildrens well being and hinders their education, development and futurelivelihoods. According to the International Labour Organization3 (ILO), thereare more than 300 million working children 5-17 years old worldwide, among whommore than 200 million are child laborers (IPEC 2006). Some of these childlaborers work in the cotton sector, and some in the textile sector. The presentarticle intends to serve as a platform for discussion of the issue of childlabor in the cotton and textile sectors, with the ultimate goal of underscoringthe relevance of eliminating child labor in general and in these sectors inparticular. The article is a compilation and summary of the available evidenceon the magnitude and effects of child labor in the cotton and textile sectorsand the actions put in place to eliminate it.

Read Full Article

Published with due permission from International Cotton AdvisoryCommittee

The author is Economist with the International Cotton AdvisoryCommittee

This paper was presented at theconference Fashionably and ethically in the textile and clothing sector, TheFaculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design, Technical University of Łdź, Poland on 17 March 2009.