Afghanistan has been stuck in
depression and poverty due to decades of oppression by the overbearing rule of
the Taliban and the war with the Soviet Union. These issues lead to the overall problem that Afghanistan is
facing today with child labor.
Many parents have to choose whether or not to allow their children to
get a sufficient education or to work for their families. Although education would spur the
economic growth and development in Afghanistan, which suffers from poverty and
insecurity, many children work and support their families as the main source of
income.
The lasting effects of the war with
the Soviet Invasion in 1979 and the power of the Taliban has not only been on
the issue of child labor, but the overall issue of education in Afghanistan
(Reihing). Over three million
children are denied an education because they are being pressured to work for
their family’s well being (Reihing).
After losing many of the men from the war, more pressure was placed on
the children especially because women are banned from working outside of their
homes. The sole source of income
for most, if not all, families in Afghanistan comes from the children who make
up more than fifty percent of the population (Reihing).
From Bricks for Bread and Milk by Kavyan Farzaneh and Andrew Swift
Economically, Afghanistan is one of
the poorest countries in the world, where one fourth of the children die before
the age of five and the average life expectancy is only forty-four years old
(Nichols). Nichols stated that the
average annual income for families is 370 dollars a year, therefore, children
have no other choice but to provide for their families. Although the Afghan Constitution of
1964 mandates education, it was not enforced due to the civil war between 1992
and 1996 and the Taliban rule (Reihing).
Later on in 1994, Afghanistan signed at the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, which stated in Article 28 that education must be enforced
(Reihing). Nichols states that children are allowed to work in non-hazardous
jobs up to thirty-five hours a week from the age of fourteen but the jobs of
many of the children include heavy labor.
While Afghanistan still suffers from debt from the war, child labor is better
implemented than education. It has
been decades that this problem has existed, but children are still seen as the
“breadwinners” for their families (Nichols). The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
“reported that nearly 43% of children under the age of 12 and 35% of children
aged 12-15 years old fit the description of child labourers…” (Foster 2).
Photographed by Kedar Pavgi
The current situation creates a
cycle that further inhibits the economic growth of Afghanistan. The families of Afghanistan are in
poverty and thus must force their children to work instead of getting an
education. Since the children of
Afghanistan are not being educated, they are not acquiring the knowledge and
economic skills needed to further expand the economy of Afghanistan. Without an improving economy, the
families remain in poverty and thus, they are forced to compel their children
to work, restarting this cycle of child labor.
Many organizations have stepped in to
try to help Afghanistan in their time of need. For example, the
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) does research on specific
issues in Afghanistan and predominantly focuses on finding results and promoting
a new culture of learning (Sim). Another organization that offers help is
the UNICEF program. Their goal is to prevent families from ever having to
send their children away from home to work (Ayari).
- Children being denied an education because they have to work to pay off the debt of their families.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9puaIvIKqg
Additional Source:
Ayari, Farida. "Children Carrying the Burden of Work in Afghanistan." UNICEF. 2009. Web. 07 May 2012.
Foster, Erin. "Afghanistan - Social Well-Being." 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 6 May 2012.
Ayari, Farida. "Children Carrying the Burden of Work in Afghanistan." UNICEF. 2009. Web. 07 May 2012.
Foster, Erin. "Afghanistan - Social Well-Being." 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 6 May 2012.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Cathlynne by Christine:
ReplyDeleteCathlynne’s description of the cycle is very accurate, and the main problem that is prolonging the issue of child labor. As Cathlynne said, many children die before the age of five and the average life expectancy is only forty-four years old. This is as a direct result of child labor. From a very young age, children are being exposed to hard labor that their bodies are not able to tolerate. They breathe in toxic fumes and endure harsh weather conditions which consequently cause health issues in the future that will result in their inability to work and their need to send their children to work, thus continuing this terrible cycle. Also, education is wrapped into this equation. Because the children, the future of Afghanistan do not educate themselves, they will never be able to prosper and get their families out of the rut that is poverty. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, “poverty actually kills more Afghans than those who die as a direct result of the armed conflict either accidental, nor inevitable; it is both a cause and a consequence of a massive human rights deficit“ (Cordesman). This is an alarming statistic because it truly puts the problem of poverty in Afghanistan into perspective. Unsurprisingly, there is a strong correlation between the poverty level and the rise in child labor along with the literacy rate. These are the issues that must be resolved because once one is taken care of, the others will follow.
Cordesman, Anthony. "Agriculture, Food, and Poverty in Afghanistan." Center for Strategic and International Studies. 26 Apr. 2010. Web. 08 May 2012. .
Response to Cathlynne by Kevin Do
ReplyDeleteI agree with the cycle of child labor that Cathlynne discusses. Children are being forced to work in order to help feed their families but are denied an education by doing so. Also, according to UNICEF's statistics, Afghanistan is receiving roughly $6 billion in foreign aid to help develop the country. However, I disagree with a few of her statements. She states that the children alone are the breadwinners of most families. However, in Kantor's study, many of the working children pool their income together with their family's income as a whole. Although women are discouraged from doing outdoor work, they can work indoors as maids or cooks. Additionally, according to UNICEF’s statistics, the under-five mortality rate for children is only 11% rather than the astonishing 25% Cathlynne quotes. I agree with Cathlynne’s overall argument that the cycle of child labor is caused by a lack of education, but disagree with a few of her details.
Response to Cathlynne by Aleksandra
ReplyDeleteCathlynne accurately describes the never-ending cycle of child labor by describing how economics, or lack of thereof, forces children to become income earners for their families. They must focus on the survival of the family rather than on thriving as an individual. She correctly points out that poverty is one of the roots of the ever-rising level of child labor, since money becomes increasingly important in that situation. Also, child labor has far-reaching implications, not only in continuing the cycle of poverty but also in the rapid decrease of life expectancy, which she adequately points out. Although Cathlynne does write about the educational aspect of this issue, she does not point out that parents believe that education is better received during work rather than at a school because, as seen through their eyes, most schools have incompetent teachers and overcrowded classrooms, while a job provides some sort of skill that will enhance a child’s uncertain future. Cathlynne is incorrect in stating that women are “banned from working outside their home.” In a social sense, this might true, but “ban” is still too strong of a word. Laws forbidding women to work are no longer politically in place; however, the Taliban that enforced those laws ingrained this idea further into the people’s culture. This strong social mindset also has increased the number of children working in Afghanistan and cannot be omitted from the child labor equation. I agree with Cathlynne that improving the economy will help break this cycle; however, social barriers also need to be broken before reaching the ultimate solution and goal of eliminating child labor.
"The Plight of the Afghan Woman." Afghanistan Online. 09 Dec. 2010. Web. .
Sim, Amanda. "Confronting Child Labour in Afghanistan." Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (2009). Print.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteConclusion:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I want to thank Christine, Kevin, and Aleksandra for their comments. I still stand by my initial post that the cycle of child labor in Afghanistan is caused by the lack of education and the extreme lengths of poverty. As Christine pointed out, poverty kills more Afghans than actual armed conflict. Without an education, the children of Afghanistan are incapable of enhancing the economy, which then increases child labor. In response to Kevin's comment on children being the breadwinners of their families, I still stand by my statement. Although the income for families are pooled together, the main income of families truly comes mostly from the children according to Reihing. I do stand corrected by Kevin that only eleven percent of their population dies before the age of five as stated by UNICEF statistics. In response to Aleksandra's comment on the parents involvement on their children's education, some parents do believe that working is a better way for children to learn, although some parents do choose that education would be better. This is usually based upon personal experiences of the parents (Sim). I also agree with Aleksandra that I had a poor word choice in saying that women are banned from working outside of the home. This was only in affect when the Taliban was in power. Because it was so enforced, many women are insecure about working outside of the home and it has been engraved in their culture. These social barriers must be broken as well as improving the economy and enforcing education to eliminate child labor. To conclude, the cycle of child labor is still greatly in affect in Afghanistan and many internal problems must be resolved for the cycle to be broken.
Additional Source:
"Afghanistan." UNICEF. Web. 12 May 2012. .