Counting the uncounted: The consequences of children's domestic chores for health and education in Ethiopia

Abstract

Much of the existing literature on the economics of child labor assumes that child labor is synonymous with employ-

Blurred Definitions and Imprecise Indicators: Rethinking Social Assistance for Children’s Work

“…At home, children's work often includes cooking, collecting water and/ or firewood, caring for other family members or working on the family farm. Some work might be supervised, some done independently (Admassie 2003;Dinku et al 2019;Robson 2004). The home environment may be more benign, but children will still be exposed to hazards and potential harm.…”

COVID-19 and the gendered impacts on adolescent wellbeing: Evidence from a cross-sectional study of locally adapted measures in Ethiopia, Jordan, and Palestine

“…16 When domestic chores (such as collecting water and firewood, cooking, and cleaning) are considered alongside paid work and agricultural work, adolescent girls, and particularly those in poor and rural households, are much more likely than boys to spend a "harmful" amount of time working each day (defined as 4 hours per day or more), despite adolescent boys being more likely to be in the labor force. 25 With the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Government of Ethiopia took several steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including communication campaigns to promote good hygiene and social distancing, restrictions on public gatherings, and school closures. 26 Remote school via TV, radio, and social media was offered, but participation was very low outside of urban areas due to lack of access to technology.…”

“…16 When domestic chores (such as collecting water and firewood, cooking, and cleaning) are considered alongside paid work and agricultural work, adolescent girls, and particularly those in poor and rural households, are much more likely than boys to spend a “harmful” amount of time working each day (defined as 4 hours per day or more), despite adolescent boys being more likely to be in the labor force. 25 …”

The Impact of Public Works Programme on Child Labour in Ethiopia

“…Due to the lack of data in the 2002 survey, the child labour variable does not include domestic chores. In fact, whether household chores should be included in statistical definitions of child labour remains a subject of controversy and disagreement among labour statisticians and development economists (The United Nations (UN), 1989; Edmonds, 2008;International Labor Organization (ILO), 2011;Dinku et al, 2019). The variable is defined as activities done outside the home such as street vending, work on the farm or serving in the family store.…”

“…Similarly, when a family member is chronically ill, households would experience catastrophic out-of-pocket payments for treatments (Wagstaff and Doorslaer, 2003;McIntyre et al, 2006) and the loss of income due to disabling conditions (Wagstaff, 2007), which translate into a reduced food consumption (Gertler and Gruber, 2002; Sparrow et al, 2014). There is also a growing body of evidence showing that health shocks lead to a level of child labour (Bratti and Mendola, 2014;Alam, 2015;Dinku et al, 2018). Ensuring the validity of the fixedeffects estimator may also require controlling for factors that correlate with the quality and structure of the local economy.…”