Peer-reviewed article
Addressing Child Labour in SAARC : The Synergy of Education, Health and Economic Growth Towards SDGs
Himashi Muthugala, Tharaka Magammana, Ayodhya Perera, Amanda Bandara, Ruwan Jayathilaka ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines why child labour persists in South Asia by analysing how education, health, and economic growth affect child labour rates across SAARC countries. The research found that while better education and healthcare generally reduce child labour, poor quality education and unequal access to services can worsen the problem. Economic growth has mixed effects, sometimes creating jobs for adults but also increasing demand for child workers in certain sectors. The authors recommend regional cooperation, free education, stronger laws, and inclusive economic policies to address the issue.
Key points
- Improved access to education generally reduces child labour, but disparities in quality and affordability can have opposite effects
- Health improvements significantly lower child labour rates, yet unequal healthcare access perpetuates exploitation among vulnerable groups
- Economic growth shows dual effects: it promotes adult employment and alleviates poverty, yet unregulated expansion in specific sectors can heighten demand for child labour
- Key recommendations include fostering regional collaboration, ensuring access to free education, enacting and enforcing new laws, and improving healthcare infrastructure
- The study aligns with SDGs 3, 4, 8 and 8.7
Limitations
The document does not specify which SAARC countries were included in the analysis or provide details on the datasets used. The abstract does not present the actual statistical findings, effect sizes, or country-specific results, making it difficult to assess the strength and consistency of the relationships identified.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Child labour remains a critical socio‐economic challenge in the SAARC region, closely linked to sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study investigates the determinants of child labour by examining the roles of education, health and economic growth using a robust methodological framework. The analysis captures the non‐linear country‐specific relationships between these variables and child labour, employing advanced methodological approaches, including multiple polynomials, stepwise and simple polynomial regression. The findings reveal a complex interplay of factors, with each variable showing positive and negative effects on child labour in country‐specific contexts. Improved access to education generally reduces child labour, but disparities in quality and affordability can have the opposite effect. Health improvements significantly lower child labour rates, yet unequal healthcare access perpetuates exploitation among vulnerable groups. Economic growth shows dual effects: it promotes adult employment and alleviates poverty, yet unregulated expansion in specific sectors can heighten the demand for child labour. This study makes a novel contribution by integrating socio‐economic determinants with child labour within a regional framework, providing actionable insights while aligning with SDGs 3, 4, 8 and 8.7. Key policy recommendations include fostering regional collaboration, ensuring access to free education, enacting and enforcing new laws, improving healthcare infrastructure and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. These measures align with global SDG commitments but aim to secure a brighter future for the region's children by achieving these goals by 2030.