Millions of children around the world work to support themselves and their families, especially in South Asia and Africa, due to poverty being a main cause of child labor. While laws and conventions have sought to address child labor, over 200 million children are still subjected to it, with 115 million facing its worst forms. Efforts to increase education quality and access, strengthen laws, and drive policy initiatives through goals have had limited success in eliminating the exploitation of children through work.

1. The term “child labour” is often defined as
work that deprives children of their
childhood, their potential and their dignity,
and that is harmful to physical and mental
development.

2. Source: http://www.ilo.org/ipec/areas/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.stopchildlabour.eu

3. Source: http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/chillabour
http://www.freethechildren.com
Millions of children around the world have to work to
support themselves and their families, especially in
South Asia and Africa.
Poverty is the main cause of child labour but it is a
symptom as well. Poor parents send their children to
work for reasons of economic expediency.

4. source: http://www.stopchildlabour.eu

5.  Increasing quality and access to
education
Improving child labour legislation and
laws
Education is the key to ending the exploitation of children.
If an education system is to attract and retain children, its
quality and relevance must be improved as well.
Source: http://www.freethechildren.com
http://www.ifm-sei.org
Laws specifically covering child labour are not enough. Although,
many countries have national child labour laws that establish a
minimum age for work and regulate working conditions. But,
these laws tend to be effective in combating child labour abuses
in the formal sector in urban areas.

6.  UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
 Convention 138 of the International Labour
Organisation (1973)
 Convention 182 of the International Labour
Organisation (1999)
 ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination
of Child Labour (IPEC)

7. More than 200 million children worldwide are still in child labour and a
staggering 115 million at least, are subject to its worst forms.
Many countries which have ratified the Convention are failing to set
themselves time-bound objectives, the essential driver for meaningful
national policy initiatives. A major review published by the ILO in 2010 says
that “the pace of progress is not fast enough to achieve the 2016 target."
Although almost every country has laws prohibiting the employment of
children below a certain age, but legislation too often proves ineffective. New
laws periodically introduced in South Asia are shrugged off by hardened
business owners and disillusioned campaigners alike.
Source: Facts on Child Labour 2010 (ILO)
Source: http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/chillabour