How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 1

How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia

Sophia M. Porter

Global Connections 3B

Mr.Falls

December 17, 2018

How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 2

Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Literature Review………………………………………………………………………..4

Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….6

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………9

Research………………………………………………………………………………….11

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….....23

References………………………………………………………………………………..26

Appendix ………………………………………………………………………………...28
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 3

Abstract

All humans have a right to be protected from illegal forms of labor and children are

included with this right, even though they are often the only generation to be exploited for

economic stability. The idea of child labor has changed throughout time and was deemed unfit

during the Industrial Revolution, when newspapers exposed the reality of children working in

factories, mines, and the streets. This belief holds true today, with the support of the United

Nations, UNICEF, and ILO, but countries violate laws and standards these organizations have set

up. Children around the world are still being exploited to this day and international business take

advantage of the cheap labor force; depriving them of opportunities to succeed and grow as

person and in turn their country. By conducting business in Asia, international businesses deny

children the right from a safe, sustainable work environment and the right to an education. In the

long run, child labor is what stops countries from developing, because child labor keeps younger

generations from developing academically. Successful solutions have been provided by ILO, if

all factors cooperate, but businesses hinder these solutions from succeeding. If businesses wish

to end child labor in their supply chains, for the benefit of public image, they must support the

solutions and processes ILO has given.

Literature Review

Child labor is a global issue that can be found in any part of the world no matter how

developed an area may be. With the goal of ending all forms of hazardous and illegal acts of

child labor across the globe, set by The Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 by the United

Nations, many countries have seen a drop of child laborers in their economies, but not at the

rates that international organizations were hoping for (SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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GOALS) . The author has reviewed multiple sources to understand why child labor rates are not

decreasing at the estimated rates along with the effectiveness of the solutions given by

researchers that have been proved doable from over a hundred years ago in the midsts of the

Industrial Revolution in the Western World. While the author had started research with general

information, data, cases, and stories about child labor that allow a general insight of what the

issue is truly like, she dove into case studies, articles, and journals that focus on child labor

specifically in Asia and the roles and responsibilities international businesses have over their

supply chains and workforce. With the amount of diverse research examined, the author strives

to offer multiple perspectives towards the issue of child labor. She will also analyze the effects

and consequences this workforce has not only on children, but the societal state of the world.

An issue most countries face is to determine what kinds of labor activities are reasonable

for children and at what age. Different countries have different child labor standards. Before

laws were created against child labor from ILO, many countries denied having children in their

workforce, but once those laws were set, all countries who originally denied having child labor

blatantly admitted to using children (Bachman 2000). By admitting to utilising child labor in

their economies, countries open themselves up to where they could either end the system or

strengthen it with the help of international businesses.

ILO is specifically organized to combat all forms of illegal labor and child labor is at the

top of their focus. The organization has given solutions that work for all nations and even

specific solutions from region to region in their regional briefs. Some examples include:

Strengthening education, addressing law and enforcement, providing aid, and giving guidelines

foreign companies should take when conducting business overseas. These solutions do work if
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 5

all factors are willing to cooperate; unfortunately some solutions are unfulfilled because

businesses believe they are not inclined to help even though they implement the problem further

from being ended (Regional Brief 2017). Luckily at the end of the 1990s and early 21st century,

businesses began making great change to their contracts and code of conducts to remove children

from all work sectors the business is affiliated with, yet some multi-million companies fail to

comply such as Nike, Nestle, Walmart, and even Apple (Lamarque 2018).

When children are removed from the workforce they are not ready to adjust into a

progressive society. Studies have been conducted to determine the effects of children’s overall

health while being exposed to harsh working conditions. Some studies are specific to

comprehend the immediate effects of what illegal labor has done to a child on all forms. Other

studies gather the immediate effects, but are more focused on the future of the child, if left

untreated. Children typically suffer from depression and anxiety, while they are also found to be

malnourished which restricts their development (Kiss 2015, International Journal 2016). With

these conditions left untreated, the future generations of a country will be doomed to

underachievement and poverty.

Limitations

The author intends to explore the continuance of child labor in Asian countries through

the influence it has on and lack of educational opportunities, legislation enforcement, cultural

norms, economic stability, and international businesses. She has no means of stating anywhere in

her argument that children should be prohibited from all work sectors and that all children should

be freed from their employment to focus on education. There are many benefits for children to

work, but only at a reasonable age; with sufficient conditions and pay, while focusing on
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 6

receiving an education. The main point of her argument is on illegal child labor, modern slavery,

and child exploitation; these terms will be used interchangeably due to the similar definitions in

this paper’s context.

However, after some in depth analysis about the topic, the author has come to realize that

one issue all countries deal with directed to child labor is a universal definition. Each country has

its own definition and understanding of what age is appropriate for a child to work as well as

what types of labor sectors they are eligible in. With different definitions coming from different

countries with their own cultural makeup, a child found doing a specific kind of work in one

country, with certain conditions, may be unacceptable in another and thus causes controversy. In

order for countries to remove children from their workforce they must accept the universal

definition given by the​ International Labor Organization​, or ILO, of what child labor is and

what would be considered hazardous and illegal. The official definition given by ILO is that:

“It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful

to children and interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend

school; obliging them to leave school prematurely or requiring them to attempt to combine

school attendance with excessively long and heavy work…(ILO) work which exposes children to

physical, psychological or sexual abuse; work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or

in confined spaces; work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the

manual handling or transport of heavy loads; work in an unhealthy environment which may, for

example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise

levels, or vibrations damaging to their health; work under particularly difficult conditions such as
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 7

work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the

premises of the employer” (Article 3 No 190 ILO).

The definition above can be applied to any work sector and country. Often it is one of the

main influential factors for nations to set child work regulations, yet for countries that are less

developed, the work children are more often exposed to are worse compared to other children in

first world countries. ILO has also given a definition for the worst forms of child labor found

across the world and it states:

“All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of

children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or

compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; the use, procuring or offering of a

child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances; the

use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and

trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties; work which, by its nature or

the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of

children”(ILO).

These two definitions given by ILO have been supported by the United Nations and other

international organizations that have taken measures to ensure all nations will follow and support

efforts to end child labor. Other terms will be defined throughout the paper, but for the reader to

understand the author’s meaning of what exactly child labor is and the argument that will soon

follow, they must keep in mind these two definitions. Understanding both definitions allows the

reader to dismiss the reality of children working to contribute to the economy and earn personal
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 8

money​-​many adolescents are commonly doing this in modern times in countries that have strict

regulations and strong economies.

The reader must also be aware that situations of child labor can be found anywhere on

Earth. The responses to these acts tend to be similar from different parts of the world. The author

has chosen their prime area of focus on child labor for this paper to be within Asian countries,

but is aware that child labor resides in other parts of the world; however those cases will not be

discussed. The author will not be looking at one country in particular, but rather the region as a

whole, while giving examples from known cases from individual countries. The paper will not be

biased towards gender since both sexes are exploited, yet most sectors of child labor have female

workers due to humanity’s discriminative view point toward female submissiveness. This bias

comes from the author’s ethnic background as an Asian American along with the minor

experience she has gone through while visiting her mother’s birth country, the Philippines.

At the age of nine years old, during a family visit in the summer to Laguna, Philippines,

the author worked in her grandmother’s convenience store, which was relatively close to two

schools. In the Philippines at that time, smoking cigarettes was common and many teens

participated in it. While working in the store the author routinely sold cigarettes to adolescents

where they would smoke large amounts before returning to school. The smoke and nicotine that

was inhaled by the author caused massive headaches and dizziness. She was removed from the

store one day because the headaches were unbearable, but after a day of rest her grandmother put

her back to work because of the cultural expectation that children will help the family income no

matter the circumstances.

How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 9

What the author experienced this only once, but the experience does correlate with ILO’s

definition of child labor. The author’s situations is not as horrid compared to other children who

work for low pay and dangerous conditions; rather, it inspired the author to address the issues of

child labor in this paper along with the ability for her to connect with other children who have, or

currently are, experiencing child labor, modern slavery, and exploitation at an emotional level.

Introduction

Danica is a 16 year old orphan who found a job in Manila, Philippines as a domestic

maid.If she made enough money she would be able to attend school and earn at least a high

school education. Once hired, she was ready to work in order to protect her future for a fulfilling

career. However her employer would abuse her physically and verbally if she complained of

long hours or no break and refused to pay her. After working there for about a month she ran

away from her employer and eventually was brought to a shelter where she learned that the work

she had done was illegal (Santamaria 2012).

Child labor has existed for a millenia and is present in almost all countries around the

world. Danica was one of 3.21 million children living in the Philippines who are child laborers

(Child Trafficking in Asia n.d.) , but currently it is estimated that there are 168 million child

workers worldwide (World Report 2015). Child labor has been on the radar of global security

before the creation of the United Nations and other relevant organizations that protect human

rights and still is to this day. This workforce is mostly found in developing nations, but is not

limited to those as first world countries. Modern slavery and child exploitation fall under the

same category of what child labor is according to the International Labour Organization’s

definition.Therefore, products and services consumers purchase, especially from oversea

How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 10

companies, have a strong likelihood of being created, shipped, or processed with the help of

children (Global Profits 2016).

Compared to other regions of the world, the Asia Pacific region is ranked the second

highest region for containing child laborers in their workforce followed after Africa. This rating

is high due to Asia’s economic diversity as well as the fact that most of these economies reside in

poverty leveled countries where there is a lack of government enforcement on labor regulations

and restrictions. (Regional Brief 2017). With these countries searching for economic support

from their national governments, international businesses are able to step in and capitalize on the

cheap labor system of child workers found in Asia to produce goods at a high production rate,

but for low salary payments. The prolonged use of child labor in Asia is one of the main factors

why these countries have not developed at the rate of first world countries when child labor was

present in their workforce. These children work for long hours in poor conditions for little to no

pay and are not attending school and earning an education which could break the poverty cycle

the region is found in (Bachman 2000).

Although child labor is conducted worldwide, within Asian countries it is heavily relied

upon as source of labor to help their economies grow at the rate of the developed world.

International businesses exploit this cheap labor found in Asia, thus drives the need of child

laborers to support their families deeper into their culture while continuing an inescapable cycle

of poverty. International businesses have a profound influence in Asia’s economy, therefore, it is

the responsibility of businesses to guide these countries into supporting and enforcing laws set by

international organizations as well as laws of their own government.

Research
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 11

General Information and examples

Under international law all​ children have the right to be protected from child labor, yet

millions around the globe suffer from exploitation, abuse, and violence on a daily basis.

According to UNICEF, young boys and girls from different ethnicities, socio-economic

backgrounds, and religions are subjected to illegal forms of labor. Children who are orphans or

have disabilities have a higher risk of vulnerability. Children who live on the streets, institutions,

or detention centers are at risk of falling into child labor demands. Most of the world’s child

labor victims come from poverty leveled or war torn communities and refugees from these places

have a chance of becoming lured into child labor in major developed countries. Typically the

people who abuse and exploit children are the ones that a child is familiar with; this includes:

parents and family members, teachers, mentors, employers, and authority figures. However with

high levels of exploitation and abuse reported, very few perpetrators are held accountable and

imprisoned ​(Protecting Children 2011).

Data collected from the ​Global estimates of child labor: Results and trends 2012-2016 by

ILO Geneva 2017 ​states that the​ A

​ sia and the Pacific region no longer has the highest population

of child labourers within their areas- that position is now held by Africa. Although this region

may have a lower population of child labor compared to Africa it is still proportionately higher

than Europe and Central Asia, the Americas, and Arab state regions. FIGURE 1. Compared to

the 2012 results, the 2016 results reveal that there has been a significant drop of child labor in the

Asia and Pacific region by 1/5th including a drop of children participating in hazardous work

around 16%. It has been predicted that this decline has occurred quickly over a 4 year period due

to the economic growth and societal changes in Southeast Asia which has created jobs for young
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 12

adults and strengthened the focus of education for children. FIGURE 2. Subsistence and

commercial agriculture along with livestock herding contains the majority of child labor around

58%, but most of it is unpaid due to the child working for their family. Other sectors include

industry work and services roughly equaling 21% each. FIGURE 3.

Children and adolescents within Asia and the Pacific Islands can become victims of

modern slavery through forced labor from private actors, sexual exploitation, and state enforced

labor. Females are more likely to be subjected to modern slavery while female children are six

times more likely to fall under forced marriages. Males on the other hand are found more often in

forced labor. Typically, forced labor victims sacrifice their well being and dignity as a form of

debt bondage. Debt bondage is “ a practice in which employers give high-interest loans to

workers whose entire families then labor at low wages to pay off the debt” according to​ Free

Dictionary.​ From this study it has been concluded that over half of forced labor victims imposed

by private actors were apart of debt bondage. FIGURES 7&8.

Causes and Effects for Child Labor

Any sector of work in Asia, mostly production stage sectors, are likely to have children in

their workforce. Children found in illegal acts of child labor work for multiple reasons which

include: limited employment opportunities for adults, large families who cannot be supported

with parents’ income, agricultural jobs commonly pay by the amount picked not by the hour thus

encouraging parents to bring their children to assist, employers find children to be cheaper and

easier to persuade, family cannot support child to attend school or lack of educational
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 13

opportunities in general, and the lack of knowledge about human rights (Child Labour n.d.).

Children are forced into domestic work, are sexually exploited, used in drug deals, slavery, and

can become child soldiers (Child Trafficking n.d.).

The root cause for full time child labor in a community’s workforce is poverty and the

need for a greater household income. Businesses and employers usually hire child workers to

maximize profits while keeping salary rates low. They have power over children and often

manipulate them to work in inadequate conditions that threatens their health and safety. At times,

there is lack of adult labor available therefore, children are the next relied upon workforce. Other

motivations for businesses include the fact that children have smaller bodies and can fit in certain

work environments where most adults cannot. There is also the mindset that little girls are

weak-kneed and easier to hold authority over (Op-Ed 2015). Many leaders, politicians, and

activists agree that the statistics of child labor are too high and the consequences of this

workforce will hinder a country’s development since children are not attending school and

advancing the society as the future generation.

The effects of child labor are not only external in terms of economic growth and

development, but depending on the sector a child works in, it can cause damage to their overall

health. Excessive work in poor conditions with high chances of being abused in any matter along

with restricted self freedom messes with, and often destroys, a child’s development and

character. Many studies have been conducted on survivors of intense child labor with a wide

range of ages and employment sectors to understand the physical and physiological effects from

the inexplicable work. One study conducted by Jama Pediatrics (2015) surveyed the emotional
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 14

and mental state of child trafficked survivors, mostly from Southeast Asia, over a two week

period. Victims were tested positive for signs of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and even suicidal

behavior. Some even attempted suicide before surveys began because of their severe levels of

anxiety ( Kiss 2015). Another study focused on the overall consequences and effects of children

who are forced in prostitution or sexual exploitation in terms of child labor and trafficking. Their

results, similar to the one conducted by Kiss, illustrate that child trafficking puts children and

adolescents at risk of contracting HIV and other STDs. It also destroys their mental state and are

less likely to make decisions on their own because of fear. Victims are either physically,

verbally, and/or emotionally abused which affects the child for the rest of their life. By entering

or being sold into the ring the child has stepped into a world where all of their human rights are

ignored just for the profit of money (International Journal 2016).

These effects inhibit a child’s ability to make decisions on their own along with strips the

child from their innocence and dignity. Their experiences leave a permanent marking on their

well being and as they grow up they do not become well rounded, functioning adults because

their state of well being is destroyed at such a young age. Many leaders compare the effects of

child labor to slavery in the early discovery and transition of the Western World. UN Special

Envoy for Global Education Leader, Gordon Brown, fully supports the comparison. In his

review, ​“Child Labor and Educational Disadvantage- Breaking the Link, Building

​ rown states that “Child labor is the new slavery of our age”. His review
Opportunity”, B

highlights the key effects of child labor on the child and global community from a parental point
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 15

of view while examining the opportunities children in Asia could have if education was

accessible to all.

International Businesses’ Influence and Challenges

Businesses rely on perplex supply chains because of the global economy. Raw materials,

production at factories, shipping, and the actual selling of the finished product can be done

within multiple countries. The likelihood that the product was touched by a child’s hands at any

stage of production is high due to the exploitation of children and cheap labor found in less

developed countries that businesses take advantage of. Child exploitation of production can be

found at any stage, but it is most likely common in the early stages of development ​(Global

Profits 2016).​ At times, business that use international suppliers are unaware that the supplier’s

workforce is made up of children. At other times, businesses are aware of who makes up their

supplier’s workforce, but do very little to change it because of the partnership agreement

between the company and supplier. In order to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ businesses utilize

child labor one must grasp the simple fundamentals of economics and business.

The main factor for child labor is the economic relationship of supply and demand on

three levels: international/national, firm and or enterprise, and family. There are three

dimensions to child labor and international business in formal and informal sectors. The first is a

direct dimension which is when a firm or enterprise employs children directly. This happens

when children are directly employed and the majority of time are in an informal sector such as

services, minor manufacturing, agriculture, and domestic work. In formal sectors where children

are employed they tend to work for businesses competing against other businesses that require
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 16

little experience and basic skills to enter, but are labor intensive such as the garment or shoe

industry. An indirect dimension of child labor is when goods and services are produced by

children and purchased from other firms. The indirect dimension of formal sectors is becoming

more common as firms buy products and other services made from enterprises that utilize child

labor. An external dimension is a firm or enterprise that plays a part— beyond its direct business

interests—in shaping opinions and policies concerning child labor in the local economy. This is

usually done by firms that are activists against child labor. They use their influence to reshape

local economy’s perspective of child labor along with strengthening the importance of education

and needed social institutions to protect children. This has caused more major international

businesses to persuade the public’s perspective towards child labor and switch up child labor

policies set by governments (Bachman 2000).

A problem for international firms that wish to conduct business within Asia that have

high levels of child labor is that many states set up their own laws on minimum age requirements

and vendors follow it loosely. An age that may seem appropriate for one to work at in one

country may not be acceptable in another country even if it is in the same style of work

(Bachman 2000). Businesses also struggle with detecting child labor in their supply chains if

suppliers fear they would lose business once children were discovered working for the supplier.

Business know the laws and regulations set up by ILO and the United Nations and follow

accordingly, but countries that violate laws against child labor drag international businesses

down with them and make them accomplicences for strengthening the global issue at hand. Even

the most responsible and largest international businesses face the dilemma of how to eradicate
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 17

child labor from their supply chain. Due to the globalization era humanity is currently living in

most business have a difficult time tracing if and where child labor may be present in their

supply chains. Another dilemma is if the company were to remove children from their jobs in

areas where child labor is prominent that it may cause children to search for more hazardous jobs

to fulfil the needed income (Op-Ed 2015).

Companies struggle to determine if a potential business partner or supplier utilises any

form of child labor at any level. Difficulties include: determining if child labor takes place within

the partner’s supply chain, employers will hide child workers or send them home for the day if

an advisor comes for an inspection, and finally children will protect their jobs for income and use

fake ids to correspond with labor laws and regulations (Child Labour n.d.). In the 1980s many

governments of developing countries claimed that their economy and workforce did not contain

child labor, but in the 1990s once ILO set universal definitions that became law, those

governments did admit to using child labor. At the end of the century the leading focus for ILO

and international businesses were to adopt programs to assist children as stated in this paper.

Many businesses implement programs that help with schooling and access to general health care

while following their code of conduct.

Most code of conducts prohibit the employment of children from a direct firm or use of

buying supplies made from children. However, critics have complained that businesses do not

monitor if children have been removed from foreign suppliers due to the difficulty and expenses

some companies wish not to partake in. Compared to vast majority of companies who have codes

of conduct against child employment, relatively a small amount actually go abroad to ensure
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 18

their foreign suppliers do not have children as part of their workforce. One example that

international businesses take to prove to their consumers that they do not partake in child labor is

labeling their products; stating either the products were not made by children or the company

supports programs that helps children progress. Examples of these labels include Care & Fair,

Rugmark, STEP, and the Carpet Import Promotion Council (CIPC) with the Kaleen label. “Fair

Trade” labels correspond with private family suppliers and manufacturers. The purpose of this

label and program was not to directly reduce the use of child labor, but rather allow the private

businesses to have a greater income to support the child through school. If businesses do not

participate to end child labor then they will be part of the problem (Bachman 2000).

Solutions

Ending child labor and modern slavery needs mandatory participation from all countries

to recognize that the issue is influenced by many factors such as social and culture norms,

economic levels, and laws that enable vulnerability and abuse. Due to the diverse cultures that

Asian countries behold there is no one solution that will work for all environments. Instead each

country and its government must take the responsibility to create and enforce laws that prohibit

all acts of child labor and modern slavery defined by universal organizations. Requirements

include:

Education. ​In order to break the poverty cycle that most Asian countries face their

governments must provide access to free, public education to all children since the right to an

education is universal. By allowing all children the right to receive an education this will be an
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 19

alternative to child labor. With children in school they gain knowledge and seek growth for the

betterment of themselves and in turn the betterment of their communities and more.

Social protection systems. ​Forms of insurance that protect family from natural disasters,

sudden family death, diseases, job loss, economic crisis and more to ensure that families do not

rely on children to make extra money when life gets harder.

Migration. ​Many children who are a part of modern slavery are transported around the

region, not isolated in one area. It is the responsibility of migrante officers set by the government

to surveillance children who are moving from country to country that are with suspicious adults

and protect them from their procurer.

Conflict and disaster​. Areas with high armed conflict and issues with political,

economic, and environmental shocks rely on child labor and modern slavery as an emergency

resort to help restore their country’s stability. With this in mind, governments allow this form of

labor to continue just to benefit the country in the moment and not solve the problems within

their social, political, and economic state.

Debt bondage. ​Debt bondage can be found throughout the world, but is most prominent

in the Asia Pacific region from its normality in their culture. Often parents who are in debt

bondage either bring their children to assist with their repayment or send their child to work to

pay off their obligations. When parents send their child alone to work they are increasing the risk

of the child falling into the wrong hands and being taken away from their family forever. To stop

this government agencies must address the issue of debt bondage itself and the corrupt labor

system to protect their citizens from exploitation but most importantly their children.
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 20

Enhancing legislation and enforcement. ​For governments in the Asia Pacific region to

end the child labor system within their state they must build up a strong legislation that follows

international standards and enforces those standards to the fullest extent. To start, the creation of

laws set by legislative bodies that apply to all workers that encompass the protection of their

rights and safety will induce a safer, more enjoyable work environment for adults who are

deemed fit to work and not rely on the need of child labor; this includes: age limitations, formal

requirements to work, skills, work hours, and more. However the creation of these laws will not

work by itself. Government enforcement is crucial to put an end to child labor and insufficient

enforcement will continue the cycle. In defiance of the current amount of criminal laws against

child labor, modern slavery, and exploitation the amount of prosecution, trials, and punishment

against these crimes are significantly low compared to statistics of the amount of child workers

in the region. This means that law enforcements need to be deliberate with their responses to

cases against child labor and the abuse that follows. By doing so the labor justice system will act

in response to the importance and seriousness in the crimes and deliver justice to the victims and

punish those responsible for the crimes they have committed.

Evidence. ​Although studies have been completed within this region the data collected are

estimates of the populations surveyed. To have more concrete data studies must be conducted to

specific subregions along with specific types of labor. The research should be specific and

intensive to gather realistic data that will drive changes towards the child labor system. The

research should focus on the types of systems and laws that work against child labor and their
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 21

effectiveness to determine how well they are working or if changes are needed to continue the

process to end child labor (Regional Brief 2017).

For these factors to work and succeed international businesses must take a step in

providing aid for their suppliers in order to swiftly remove children from the supply chain at a

local level. Once businesses understand if they participate in one of the three dimensions they

must come to an understanding on how to move forward along with creating a standard that

focuses on what is acceptable and unacceptable of utilizing child labor. The first step would be

for both business and employer to agree to an age that is reasonable for anyone to work at

especially with children in mind. However the business must keep in mind that if they were to set

the age requirement higher than the present workforce’s age then the employer would be forced

to fire all workers under the new age requirement standard. This will then no longer allow

children to have some form of income to support their families as well as forces children to look

for a new job that may be more hazardous than the last.

An example of this happened in Bangladesh in the 1990s when Senator Tom Harkin

proposed a bill that stated all imported goods made by children were to be illegal and banned

from entering the country. With the news of this bill spreading around the global stage, garment

industries, dominantly in Bangladesh, feared that if this bill were to pass the country would lose

a trading partner who imports half of Bangladesh’s garment products. As a result, garment

manufacturers began firing their child employees. Unemployed children have now lost the only

source of income to support their families which had lead some to new sources in more

detrimental fields of work such as prostitution. Activists against child labor were so shocked
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 22

about the immediate effects of Harkin’s proposed bill that they pressured garment manufacturers

to stop firing children until a new solution was presented.

The second step would be to determine if the child was manipulated or is participating in

a traditional art. This is quite difficult to determine from foreign businesses perspective, but with

the help of international organizations it is possible. An argument was made from anti-child

labor activists in Europe protested against rugs imported from Pakistan, India and Nepal due to

children creating the rugs in depriving conditions. Merchants claimed that the children were

practicing traditional weaving skills passed down from their family. In some workshops, children

were actually learning the traditional skills from their families, but for others it was not the same

reality. Those children were recruited to work from long hours in poor working conditions and

sometimes were apart of bonded labor.

The third step would be to determine if employers are hiring children for exploitation or

economic support. Reasons for child employment in the same sector in one country will differ

from another. Employers can and will take advantage of children who will work for low wages,

but are determined to work to their full ability to support their family. Yet in some cases,

employers have explained that they hire child workers because the child’s parents are not fit to

work or there is a lack of activities for the child to do such as school. Businesses must take action

to remove children from their bondages because they are the ones who implement the issue in the

beginning (Bachman 2000).

Conclusion
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 23

The presence of child labor in a country is strong indicator that separates developed and

developing nations. While children are put to work on almost a round the clock schedule and

receive no days off, they do not attend school and gain knowledge that will help their country

eradicate the child workforce in their economy. Child labor restricts future generations from

prospering to their full potentials and drives their country and its people down a path of a poverty

leveled society. This issue has been solved before when one looks towards the growth America

has made during the Industrial Revolution to now. The solutions given by ILO are possible and

can bring great success to Asia while keeping partnership with international businesses to

strengthen its economies, yet the one major factor that blocks this success is the implications of

business conducted by international companies.

In modern times, consumers have become more aware of where their products come

from and who created it; if businesses are discovered to use any form of child labor in the

creation of their product the company’s image is destroyed which causes a drop in investments.

Companies are now becoming more aware of who produces their products in foreign nations

from consumer concerns and wish to contribute to end the process, yet are unsure where to

begin.As stated by Bruce Seiffart, Old Dominion University International Business Professor,

“International businesses should work hand in hand with local governments to end all forms of

child labor found in the community and work its way up- not starting at the national level and

working down, but by doing the complete opposite to end the issue from its source”.

In order for international businesses provide aid for child laborers they must work with

governments to create laws that will be strictly enforced, grant money for access to education,
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 24

and donate resources for inspections and better working conditions. By doing so, procurers and

suppliers that force and allow children to work illegally will be brought to justice and held

accountable for their crimes. This will start a chain reaction and through time countries will

develop with each and every young generation working on an education, thus pushing the lower

economic class higher and higher until it reaches that of the developed world. For a country to

have a bright, successful future they must focus their attention on its children to protect them

from ruining their future to temporarily stabilize the economy with the help of international

businesses; by carrying out this fulfillment it will allow children, like Danica, to have a future

full of hope and achievement for not only their own growth, but the growth of their country.
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 25

References

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Brown, G. (2012). Child Labour & Educational Disadvantage – Breaking the Link, Building
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How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 26

Lamarque, H. (2018, December 06). 10 Companies That Still Use Child Labor. Retrieved from

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Op-Ed: How businesses can take a stand against child labour. (2015, June 10). Retrieved from
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Seiffart, Bruce (December 2018). ODU professor interview

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ggggggggg​ Behavior

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Paving the way to decent work for young people by the International Labour

Organization
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 27

Appendix

Figure 1

Figure 2
How International Businesses can end Child Labor in Asia Porter 28

Figure 7

Figure 8

(Regional Brief 2017).