The Worst Forms of Child Labour in Latin America : Identification and Policy Options. Main findings from Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru

Abstract

One of the central objectives of this study was to map the working and living situations of children who are working in specific economic sectors and what the consequences of this work are for their physical and emotional well-being. As a result of this analysis we hoped to identify several activities and/or sectors that fall within the group of “hazardous forms of child labour”. The second focus of the study was to investigate the reasons why these children are working in these worst forms sectors. The research results were expected to give important insights into the currently polarised debate between those who state child labour is above all related to cultural considerations and those who state that economical reasons are fundamental to the phenomena of child labour. The third objective, to accommodate policy making in the field of worst forms, was to map the different policy initiatives for child labourers in the worst forms and to identify the best practices. In the face of challenges imposed by achieving the Millennium Goals (MGDs) set by the UN, specific attention was paid to educational initiatives. Is education a useful tool in combating child labour, and vice versa, is child labour a significant obstacle to achieving universal primary education?