Are Working Children in Developing Countries Hidden Victims of Pandemics?

Abstract

The consequences of the recent pandemic have been disproportionately disruptive to several social groups, including children. As developing economies have been firefighting the recent pandemic, the welfare of minors could be affected and children’s economic exploitation and abuse could increase. Therefore, the present research aims to shed light on and to investigate the association between child labour in developing countries and pandemics, including the coronavirus, through conducting a systematic literature review on previous empirical studies. The present research concludes that previous studies on non-COVID-19 pandemics have mainly focused on the African economies, while studies on the recent pandemic have focused on Asian countries. In addition, differences were observed in relation to the methodological approaches and the characteristics of minor employees and the protection services in certain countries have proven to be insufficient. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are presented.

Child labor and associated risk factors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

“…The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action ( 20 ), Ahad et al ( 22 ), ILO ( 36 ), Mutashar et al ( 42 ), Kechagia and Metaxas ( 57 ), and Tran and Journal ( 60 )…”

“…Various studies identified the need for civil society leaders and organizations to support the efforts of governments and businesses in fighting child labor. A number of reviewed studies recommended the need for civil society to work toward raising public awareness on the effects of child labor ( 20 , 22 , 36 , 42 , 57 , 60 ) ( Table 2 ). Moreover, two studies have stressed the need for donors such as international donor agencies – such as World Bank, USAID, ILO, etc.…”

“…Six of the reviewed studies also suggested that policymakers and civil society leaders focus on raising public awareness on the adverse impacts of child labor on health and development ( 20 , 22 , 36 , 42 , 57 , 60 ). Stakeholders such as teachers and civil society leaders should be identified to help raise awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic ( 36 ).…”

Violence Against Children: The Impact of Social Media and Solving Social Problems Based on Local Wisdom in Makassar City, Indonesia

“…According to Bissel (2020), the limits of child abuse include (a) working full time at an early age; (b) work that causes physical, social, and psychological stress; (c) insufficient wages and too many responsibilities; and (d) work that degrades the dignity of the child. Economic reasons cause children to work, as a result, the welfare of minors can be affected and exploitation and economic abuse of children can increase (Kechagia and Metaxas, 2021).…”

The Tradeoff of Child Labor: Evidence from Indonesia

“…For example, from a policy perspective, there is a perception that the benefits of eliminating child labor worldwide are enormous [1]. In recent decades, there has been a notable commitment by international organisations to safeguard the rights of children and combat the issue of child labour [2]. The issue of child labour is frequently seen as a significant concern in numerous developing nations (see Kamruzzaman & Hakim,[3]; Öncü et al, [4]).…”