Child Labour and Nikes Views on it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Child Labour and Nikes Views on it - Essay Example Furthermore, because countries independently regulate child employment there is no uniform custom to draw on in this area at all. Accordingly, the scope of what is and isn't child labor is unclear. This will become evident in the discussion below. The starting point for defining child labor is to ask who, in this context, is a child? The difficulty encountered in answering this question highlights one of the most fundamental problems of regulating child labor and goes to the heart of the dilemma of determining when it is acceptable for a child to work. Child labor is considered abhorrent because a child of a certain age does not have the maturity to make decisions or exercise her free will, and is especially physically and psychologically vulnerable (Forastieri, 2002). Defining Labor Defining "labor," in the context of child labor, is almost as difficult as defining a "child." Some practices can be easily identified as labor; mine and factory work are obvious examples. Other practice s, however, are harder to define, and the process of drawing a line between work that is acceptable and work that is not is a tricky one. Whether or not a child is engaged in "labor" must depend on the type of work the child is doing, the effect it has on her, and the amount of time she is expected to spend doing the work (i.e., does it interfere with her education). Whether a child is being paid, or is working in or for the family, does not alter the fact that she may be engaged in labor.... Child labor is considered abhorrent because a child of a certain age does not have the maturity to make decisions or exercise her free will, and is especially physically and psychologically vulnerable (Forastieri, 2002). Defining Labor Defining "labor," in the context of child labor, is almost as difficult as defining a "child." Some practices can be easily identified as labor; mine and factory work are obvious examples. Other practices, however, are harder to define, and the process of drawing a line between work that is acceptable and work that is not is a tricky one. Whether or not a child is engaged in "labor" must depend on the type of work the child is doing, the effect it has on her, and the amount of time she is expected to spend doing the work (i.e., does it interfere with her education). Whether a child is being paid, or is working in or for the family, does not alter the fact that she may be engaged in labor. All that changes in the different scenarios are the obligations of states. Indeed, although states are only specifically required to regulate employment, they are obligated to protect children from all work that interferes with the child's education or is otherwise harmful to the child. Child labor In the past decade, the issue of child labor has attracted increasing attention. In times past, the topic has been the focus of action at both the national and international levels, but it has never been an issue of major concern. However, since the mid-1980s, the world has paid greater attention to its most voiceless inhabitants. The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the General Assembly in 1989 illustrates this general trend. In addition to enumerating new rights, the