Three decades have now passed since the promulgation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. Despite the almost universal ratification of the CRC, as well as the heightened global awareness of the prevalence of child labour, the phenomenon persists. Following the ratification of the CRC, the rights-based approach to combating child labour became the dominant theoretical perspective. By problematising the dominant child-rights framework, this paper contributes to the discourse on child labour by arguing for a more nuanced approach to addressing the phenomenon. The paper achieves this objective by underscoring the importance of understanding and engaging with the reasons why children work, the socio-economic contexts within which they work, and why policies designed to address child labour should address the structural barriers that directly and indirectly promote child labour.
In Ghana, about 20% of school children are involved in some form of child labour. In the Oti Region of Ghana, the Kete-Krachi district has the highest prevalence rate of about 39 percent compared to 33.2 percent for the whole region (Volta Region, 2007). This paper investigates the impact of child labour among School children in the Kete-Krachi district of the Oti Region. The study explored the major impact of Child labour among school Children. The study interviewed 145 respondents through questionnaire and interviews. The research design for the study was both quantitative and qualitative. The respondents comprised 60 JHS social studies teachers, 60 Victims of child labour, 15 parents or guardians of the victims of child labour and 10 stakeholders of education. Data analysis showed that 67 percent of the victims were from large families of five or more. It was concluded from the findings that, child labour impacts negatively on children's academic work. It results in lateness to school, absenteeism, non-performance of home works, inactive in classroom activities, poor performance in examination and high school dropout rates in Kete-Krachi area.
Child labour, child abuse, and mental-health disorders remain among the most pressing social challenges confronting children and adolescents globally.International organisations consistently report high prevalence rates of exploitation, neglect, and psychosocial distress, particularly in low-income regions and informal economic sectors (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2021; UNICEF, 2021; World Health Organization [WHO], 2022).In Ghana, rapid urbanisation, household poverty, educational inequities, and entrenched social norms have intensified children's vulnerability to hazardous labour, domestic abuse, and untreated psychological trauma.Policy frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 stress the elimination of child labour and the promotion of child well-being, yet public awareness and behavioural change remain uneven.Conventional advocacy strategies often privilege legal discourse, statistical reporting, and mass-media campaigns.While indispensable, such approaches may fail to communicate affectively or culturally with diverse communities whose experiences of trauma are embedded in everyday practices rather than formal documentation.Across African societies, textiles historically function as communicative artefacts by encoding social status, mourning, protest, spiritual symbolism, and collective memory.Cloth patterns, colour schemes, and fabrication techniques frequently operate as narrative systems through which communities articulate values and social critique.Contemporary textile practice extends this tradition into activist and educational domains, positioning fabric not merely as decorative material but as a visual language capable of conveying suffering, resilience, and social injustice.This article situates textile design within the methodological field of arts-based research (ABR), which recognises creative production as a legitimate form of scholarly inquiry and social intervention (Leavy, 2015).Through a practice-based investigation undertaken in Ghana, the study explores how digital and printed textile works may visually articulate experiences of child labour, child abuse, and depression while generating public dialogue and empathy in exhibition contexts.In this context, creative and
ABSTRACT Child labour and child trafficking on Lake Volta in Ghana exemplify the significant threats faced by children in inland fisheries and represent a concern in child protection. National statistics indicate that more than one‐quarter of Ghanaian children aged 5–17 are engaged in work, including hazardous activities such as fishing. This paper examines the life histories of adolescents who experienced exploitative or trafficking conditions on Lake Volta. Narrative biographical interviews were conducted with 13 child survivors and 2 senior NGO officials. The analysis was organized primarily within an ecological framework and interpreted through child‐centred, rights‐based and political‐economy lenses, using within‐case narrative analysis and cross‐case thematic analysis. Four main themes emerged: pathways to labour driven by poverty, family issues and recruiters; life in the lake marked by danger, violence and limited options; rescue and rehabilitation characterized by ‘conditional freedom’ removal from danger but ongoing dependence, uncertain reintegration, disrupted education and fragile futures; and future prospects focused on education and jobs, but hindered by trauma, disruptions, limited options and uncertain support.
Though there is comprehensive literature on the effectiveness of school feeding in increasing school enrollment and school attendance, little is known about its potential effect on child labor. This paper takes advantage of the 2007 Core Welfare Questionnaire Indicator survey conducted between August and September 2007 in Liberia to assess the causal impact of the School Feeding Programme (SFP) on child labour. Using the propensity score-matching technique, we find that the SFP leads to a statistically significant decrease in child labour estimated at between 14 and 17%. This result is robust to the use of different matching techniques and the choice of covariates used in the estimation of the propensity score. In addition, the analysis reveals that the SFP is mainly effective in reducing child labour for male children, children living in war-displaced households, and children living in households in which the head is literate. Overall, the study shows that the detrimental effect of conflict on child labor can be mitigated by school feeding interventions.
Child labour remains a serious challenge in many developing countries, where poverty, cultural beliefs, and weak policies continue to push children into early work. This study explores the long-term effects of child labour on economic development, focusing on how it impacts children’s education and future workforce productivity. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 400 respondents in Ebonyi, Ezza South, and Onicha through questionnaires and focus group discussions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for analysis. The study is anchored on Robert Merton’s Structural Strain Theory, which explains how societal pressures can lead individuals, including children, to seek alternative (often harmful) means of survival. Findings reveal that child labour negatively affects children's school attendance and performance, and in many cases, denies them access to education entirely. This results in a large adult population with low skills, limited job opportunities, and poor productivity, weakening national economic growth. Interestingly again, the study observes that short-term adult unemployment and long-term workforce instability are among the many hidden costs of child labour. The study reiterates that stricter enforcement of existing policies, social support, and investments in education are effective ways to combat child labour and promote sustainable economic development.
Juvenile delinquency and child labour are related social problems that today plague Nigeria. They both affect young boys and girls, some of whom are children (juveniles). Among these juveniles are children who have been involved in criminal behavior like gangism, banditry, thuggery, drug sales and abuse behaviors which are sometimes developed from participation in child labour activities which have become severe in Nigeria. Majority of these activities take the form of street hawking in the Southern part of the country, and street begging in its northern part by children addressed as Almajirai. These problems if allowed to remain will compromise and jeopardize not only the future of the child, but also that of the nation, Nigeria. Thus this study investigates juvenile delinquency as predated by child labour with a view to explaining causality and effects. Particularly, as it relates to human and capital development, and to make suggestions towards finding solutions.
In Ghana, about 20 % of school children are involved in some form of child labour. In the Oti Region of Ghana, the Kete-Krachi district has the highest prevalence rate of about 39 percent compared to 33.2 percent for the whole region (Volta Region, 2007). This article seeks to suggest various mechanisms to be used to eradicate the menace among the Junior High School students in the Kete-Krachi district of the Oti Region to bring about better academic performance of the students. The study interviewed 145 respondents through questionnaire and interviews. The research design for the study was both quantitative and qualitative. The respondents comprised 60 JHS teachers, 60 Victims of child labour, 15 parents or guardians of the victims of child labour and 10 stakeholders of education. Data analysis shows that teachers, opinion leaders, NGOs and the Government have a role to play in the eradication of child labour in the Kete-Krachi area. Keywords Eradicate, mechanism, control and school children DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-14-06 Publication date:July 31st 2020
It has been observed over the years that child labour has been a trending phenomenon in our society. It has also been noticed that poverty has driven a lot of parents and guidance to painfully force their children into early work. And this has caused a lot of hazards in our society especially Nigeria. It is on this note that this paper explains the reasons why children are forced to work, the effects of child labour upon our society, the causes of child labour, policies that have been made by government to impede it, types of child labour and how Nigerian Dramatist perceive the issue through their works. Lewis’ “Culture of poverty theory” and Stouffer’s “Relative deprivation theory” provide this paper with fibre and framework to interrogate the subject matter and provide the critical consciousness and promoting change of attitude. This research has its root in educating the minds of the people, enlightening the society on the dangers of child labour and creatively proffering solutions. Hence, the thrust of this research is to educate people on the danger of child labour and creating the desired awareness on the issue of child labour and the effects on our society. This paper adopts qualitative method of research since it will be engaged in much textual analysis. Following the methodology, this study summarises a finding which states that the prevalence of child labour in Nigeria is largely an internal problem with poverty, ignorance and bad government as leading causes. To this end, this study draws conclusion that the government, parents, institutions and the general public should cooperate in the best manner to put an end to child labour practice or reduce it to a bearable state. Further suggestions arouse at the end of this study.
The fight against child labour is a challenge for policy makers in developing countries. The objective of this study is to find other policies to reduce child labour. Thus, this research shows the effect of school quality on schooling and child labour in Ivory Coast. Primary data from the local survey on child labour and education policies in 2010 collected from a sample of 750 households and 1, 338 children with support from PASRES were used. The estimation of two models (Heckman selection model and bivariate probit model) indicates that the presence of canteen and electricity in the school significantly increases the probability of schooling for children and reduces the probability of their work. Thus, policy makers in addressing child labour need to focus on improving the learning environment for children by focusing on the construction of school canteens and electrification of schools from disadvantaged backgrounds.
