Introduction
Across the globe, people enjoy wearing fashionable clothes and drinking coffee at cheap and affordable prices. However, while happily purchasing the items and services, they fail to imagine how such goods found their way to the stores. Someone somewhere made the garments and plucked the berries using cheap capital hence making them affordable. Child labor has been highlighted as one of the major ingredients in the production of such commodities in many countries thus denying children their right to education. A report by UNESCO shows the extent to which young kids and adolescents in Latin America have been excluded from learning opportunities due to work (UNESCO, 2022). Further, the findings paint a gleaming picture of the education crisis in the aforementioned region and especially in Brazil where there are persistent inequalities. In addition, 12 million youths and children have been excluded or denied means of education in the above regions due to poverty which has exacerbated the vice of using minors to work (UNESCO, 2022). This paper explores the current child labor situation, attitudes, legal protection of minors, and changes taking place in Brazil.
The Current Situation on Child Labor in Brazil
Around the globe, the participation of young children in work has become detrimental to their development and inhibiting the attainment of their potential. The International Labor Organization (ILO) asserts that although this group of people can help with house chores, the resultant effects, and intensity of the activity matter (International Labor Organization, 2021). Therefore, child labor is seen as work depriving the young of their dignity, and childhood, and, is harmful to both mental and physical development. Further, it is socially, morally, physically, and harmful to kids.
Therefore, it interferes with their education by preventing them from attending school or attempting to combine heavy work and school for the learner simultaneously. A recent report by ILO highlights that there has been an increase in child labor for ages 5 to 17 years accounting for more than half of the vice globally (International Labor Organization, 2021). Furthermore, countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are more susceptible and vulnerable due to the onset of COVID-19. As a result, 160 million children are involved in the exploitation; an 8.4 million increase over 4 years (International Labor Organization, 2021). On the other hand, Brazil has not been spared from the above-mentioned challenges. The country has children aged between 7 and 14 years working illegally, receiving meager salaries in various sectors including agriculture 56%, services 35.2%, and industrial 8.2% respectively (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). On the contrary, both economic and social challenges have been highlighted as some of the causes of the problem, and this includes poverty where many families can not afford meals hence letting kids search for livelihoods.
Unemployment is another reason for the vice as many underage teenagers opt for drug trafficking and prostitution as a source of income. Bureau of International Labor Affairs (2020) asserts that children in Brazil are susceptible to exploitation in minors labor which includes commercial sex and sometimes results in human trafficking. Selfish economic interests by companies have led to the rampant practice of vice. Consequently, the children provide easy and cheap labor for the employers who exploit them. The International Labor Organization (2021) expounds on the report by UNESCO that highlights the aforementioned factors as the main cause of children dropping out of school. Moreover, the aforementioned sectors in the country have continued to exacerbate the problem for many years. In 2019, 1 to 3 children engaged in coffee production, and 1.4 million teenagers engaged in child labor where 706,000 worked in worse conditions (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). Although the report indicated a decrease in the previous years, recent indicators in Brazil have shown an increase in the practice in the aforementioned sectors.
Highlights on child labor in Brazil, have uncovered many incidents that show the intensity of the practice in the country. For instance, many minors are involved in agriculture where they engage in the harvesting of fruits, bananas, coffee, cocoa, corn, and cotton. In addition, others work in grazing livestock, cattle ranching, and fishing. In the industrial sector, children are used in the slaughtering of animals which includes beef production. Moreover, they are involved in mining and stone quarries (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). Further, they take part in ceramics, pottery, textile and garments, footwear, and, the rolling of straw cigarettes works. According to the ILO, other forms of labor among minors include services such as vending, garbage scavenging, washing vehicles, working in fairs and markets; hauling vegetables and fruits (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). In addition, there are the worst forms of exploitation prevalent in the country. These include vices such as underage commercial sex involving pornography and human trafficking which leads to forced domestic work in different regions (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). As aforementioned the cheap source of labor is exploited in the production of manioc and coffee.
Moreover, gangs traffic drugs using by using the young ones as moles or the modes of transporting the contrabands across states. On the contrary, the Brazilian government reported in 2020 to have made efforts to curb the same by publishing a governmental dirty list containing all the employers in various sectors found exploiting children. Further, various departments such as the police, and the association for the defense of children, women, and the youth highlighted highways that were risky to teenagers and children. However, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (2020), asserts that the above-reported measures do not meet the international standards and as such, there is little progress in curbing the vice.
Attitudes Towards Child Labor in Brazil
Although the government has been at the forefront to curb child labor across the country, there are challenges from citizens’ attitudes in different parts of the country. In addition, Brazil has been highlighted as an example of a successful country in eradicating the problem. However, the declining child labor trends witnessed over the years have not been significant in specific sectors such as informal settlements and agriculture in rural areas (Aransiola & Justus, 2020). This is especially visible in towns and local families found in the countryside respectively. Therefore, the decrease in curbing child labor in the aforementioned regions has been due to two major reasons. They include issues such as the negative attitude of the family agricultural practitioners and inequality among informal dwellers in town who depend on child labor for survival (Aransiola & Justus, 2020). Further, the reluctance from the above two groups is exacerbated by limited due governmental programs that do not reach these areas and address the challenges adequately.
Furthermore, the determinants for cooperation from the public especially among parents and other stakeholders in the above regions, depend on various factors. These include parameters such as the parent’s education level, family structure, income, socio-cultural ideologies, and, urbanization (Aransiola & Justus, 2020). Moreover, the aftermath of early programs aimed at reducing exploitation has led to its increase. This has been attributed to inadequate engagements and consultations between the government and the family members hence reaching a consensus (Aransiola & Justus, 2020). On the other hand, the introduction of labor inspection in all states did not carry out its mandate as expected since some states were neglected.
For instance, the Southeast and Midwest regions of the country are more prioritized as compared to the Northeast part. Consequently, those in these regions feel neglected and continue with the practice even when the residents are aware of the detrimental effects on minors. The introduction of cash transfers for poor households between 2004 and 2014 showed that some areas with more cases of child labor received fewer funds as compared to others (Aransiola & Justus, 2020). In addition, a family’s poverty level was considered when rolling out the project but this was not followed as some poor households were left out of the programs hence resentments. All the above instances portray citizens with mixed attitudes toward child labor where poor households receiving the money are in support while their counterparts continue with the exploitation.
Laws and Legal Protection of Minors
The Brazilian government has made progress in passing laws aimed at protecting minors against child labor. While lauding the country on its efforts, the UNESCO chairperson expressed her satisfaction during the 70th anniversary of Human Rights on the strides the country had made in passing laws for children (UNESCO, 2019). The right to free education for a minor in Brazil has been enshrined in the country’s constitution. Consequently, the 1988 law, spells out responsibilities for the state, federal and municipal education sectors describing it as among the fundamental human rights (UNESCO, 2019). Following its enactment, vital progress in the citizen’s awareness of education has been achieved. In conjunction with the public prosecutor and defender, the law is enforced for all preschool children and early education. This has led to the tremendous expansion of the two aforementioned departments. On the other hand, the Supreme Court steps in to defend the constitution and bridges the gap arising during its implementation (UNESCO, 2019). As a result, many lawsuits have been decided in favor of young children.
As a UNESCO chair, Professor Nina Ranieri expressed her pleasure in the expansion of education rights in Sao Paulo reminding people that in 2015, 28 million students had been enrolled in elementary (UNESCO, 2019). Furthermore, the country had made tremendous progress for twenty years with the challenge of transforming from access to quality. For instance, the National Education Plan for 2014 to 2024, aims to allocate 10% of the country’s GDP by 2024 (UNESCO, 2019). Moreover, the country has enacted laws to curb abuses of minors through the national plan on combating both sexual violence and human trafficking against children. This policy identifies, strategies to address, curb and protect victims while promoting their rights (Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2020). Furthermore, the trafficking of minors who are later forced into prostitution and drug trafficking has been highlighted in the security department. The Brazil Federal police have identified risky areas for sexual exploitation. As such, they have launched public awareness campaigns against the practice.
Changes Occurring in Brazil on Child Labor
According to the global education report, there are tremendous changes taking place in Brazil. The UNESCO education monitoring group findings show the rising disparities in the education of minors among Latin American states. This has been worsened by the onset of COVID-19. As a result, 40% of the countries across the globe did not offer any form of support for the learners during the pandemic (UNESCO. Org, 2022). The crisis realized in education has been exacerbated by pre-existing inequalities.
For instance, UNESCO. Org (2022) asserts that in 2020, almost twelve million youths and children in Latin America had been excluded from education due to poverty. Although Brazil has made progress in the preschool education system, it has not adapted to its learners’ needs. Further, there are inequalities among the indigenous population although the country has succeeded in controlling its social classes. However, over 50% of the teachers in Brazil requested to be trained on special needs to assist students (UNESCO.2022). On the other hand, the country has made steps in eradicating forms of child labor such as sexual exploitation and trafficking. To curb this, the government enacted policies through strategic frameworks; the National Children’s policy, its enforcement, and coordination.
Conclusion
In summation, Brazil has experienced child labor for many years. Although it has enacted laws to curb the practice, it continues to face many challenges. For instance, the rural agricultural families and slum dwellers in the city continue exploiting children through child labor, trafficking, and prostitution. Furthermore, the enactment of the cash transfer program for poor households was not implemented transparently as other regions were neglected. This has resulted in negative attitudes from the affected regions. However, the country has made improvements in education with the majority of teachers requesting to be trained in special needs skills thereby enhancing their skills for the students.
References
Aransiola, T. J., & Justus, M. (2020). Evolution of child labor rate in Brazilian states: Policy limits and contradictions. Economia e Sociedade, 29(1), 273 295.
Bureau of International Labor Affairs. (2020). 2020 findings on the worst forms of child labor: Brazil. U.S. Department of Labor.
International Labour Organization. (2021).Child labour rises to 160 million – first increase in two decades.
UNESCO. (2019). Using the judiciary system to enforce the right to education in Brazil. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2022). A new UNESCO report shows the extent of global inequalities in education and calls for greater inclusion as schools re-open. UNESCO.