Peer-reviewed article
Community beliefs vis-à-vis legal frameworks for child labour in Malawi
Gift Gawanani Mauluka ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view ·Key points
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Abstract
Children in Malawi are involved in work that is detrimental to their health, morals and physical development. Among many factors, poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and household vulnerabilities have been identified as key driving forces. Realising the magnitude and the detrimental effects of child labour on children’s lives, international and national civil society organisations, including the Government of Malawi, have implemented projects to deal with the problem through different approaches. Among other approaches, the stakeholders have used legal frameworks that condemn and prohibit child labour practices to tackle the problem. These legal frameworks have also set an age limit for the involvement of children in work. Despite the establishment of legal frameworks to curb child labour, the issue persists. This paper argues that child labour persists primarily due to a disconnect between these formal laws and the local community’s perspectives on child rights. The paper suggests that communities perceive the principles of child rights, such as non-discrimination, the best interest of the child, life, survival and development, differently than their legal definitions or as they are provided in legislation. This misalignment creates barriers to the effective implementation of child labour laws in Malawian communities. The article is informed by discussions with Child Protection Workers and Civil Society Organisations working on human rights projects in Malawi.