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New GIGA Focus Latin America | Child Labour Policies in the Americas: Why Progress Has Become Uncertain / Johanna Pieper

GIGA Focus | Latin America | Number 3 | May 2025 | ISSN 1862-3573.

One in 10 children worldwide works, which can harm their well-being and have broader socio-economic consequences. While the ILO advocates for eliminating child labour, strategies across the Americas range from prohibition to legalisation, and everything in between. The US, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia illustrate how competing interests shape child labour policies, leading to contrasting outcomes.

Traditionally, the Global North has been at the forefront of initiatives to combat child labour. Howeer, several US states have recently taken steps to weaken child labour laws, a move supported by Republicans and business groups, making it easier to employ minors in (hazardous) work.

Brazil and Peru stand out in addressing child labour through strict prohibitions. While Brazil complements its restrictive child labour policies with extensive social programmes, Peru does not.

Bolivia adopted permissive child labour policies, driven by the lobbying of working children’s organisations, which advocate for the protection of working children and adolescents. In Peru, these organisations have had less influence over the years, resulting in a more restrictive approach. Nonetheless, both countries continue to struggle with child labour due to the absence of complementary social strategies.

Policy Implications

In poor countries, restrictive child labour policies are unlikely to work without social strategies. In their absence, permissive policies that provide meaningful regulation may offer a safer option for minors working out of financial need. International actors should support the expansion of cash transfers and the formal inclusion of representatives of affected populations in policymaking.

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OpenEdition le sugiere que cite este post de la siguiente manera:
REGARDS CNRS (19 de mayo de 2025). New GIGA Focus Latin America | Child Labour Policies in the Americas: Why Progress Has Become Uncertain / Johanna Pieper. Redial & Ceisal. Recuperado 17 de junio de 2025 de https://doi.org/10.58079/13y8j


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