BSR flags child labour in Myanmar industries

24 May '16

5 min read

Building this protective framework is a long-term prospect, and an ongoing due diligence approach that addresses uncertainties and broader systemic challenges will be crucial to successful sourcing operations.

According to BSR, buyers and investors can also significantly contribute in the workplace by providing enhanced training and tools for recruitment and hiring, as well as clear guidelines and systems to ensure good working conditions for young workers. Young workers who are legally employed but who do not meet the minimum working age of supplier Codes of Conduct should not be terminated. Raising awareness for workers and effective feedback mechanisms will help to ensure that workers themselves are actively involved in prevention and remediation of child labor.

Buyers and investors can also contribute for the garment sector by supporting initiatives on prevention and remediation of child labor for the whole industry — such as the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers' Association Framework of Action for preventing and remediating child labor — and pursuing partnerships with key government agencies.

Meanwhile, appropriate remediation for underage and young workers should include improved access to education — including non - formal options — and support for effective case management. Broader support for awareness - raising efforts with families and communities, and creation of safety nets for households, would also help to change a societal context in Myanmar that currently enables child labor.

Underlying and informing all of these efforts should be a child rights - based approach, which recognizes the agency and rights of children to participate in decisions about their future. In the context of widespread social acceptance of child labor, it is essential to consider not only international norms about what is best for children, but also individual circumstances and preferences. Programs should be voluntary and aligned with the physical and mental health needs and socioeconomic constraints that young workers face — while also meeting national and global standards for child labour.

The report acknowledges that eliminating child labor in Myanmar cannot occur overnight. Children need adequate educational alternatives, laws need to be passed and enforced, and adults need the ability to earn sufficient income to remove the pressure they feel to send their children to work. None of these conditions exist at present. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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