Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Despite the significant contributions that children make to their
families, the ILO definition of 'children in employment' excludes work
undertaken in the child's own household, rendering children's - especially
girls' - unpaid work contributions within the family invisible. Girls'
greater workload of domestic responsibilities may reduce their spatial
mobility and mean that they have less time available for schooling,
private study and outdoor play compared to boys, which can disrupt
their school attendance, result in poor educational outcomes and reduce
potential opportunities for informal learning, peer socialization and
participation in the community. International child welfare concerns,
however, are focused on the exploitation of children's labour in more
visible forms of productive work and the gendered- and age-related
impacts of children's social reproductive work within the family are
rarely considered within development policy and planning.
Researchers and NGOs have also refuted assumptions that children
who work in the global South have little access to education and few oppor-
tunities for play. Children often seek opportunities for play, recreation and
social activities with their peers while they undertake paid and unpaid
tasks within the family, at school, on the street and in other environments.
Many children combine paid and unpaid work with their schooling and, in
many cases, need to earn money since their families are unable to pay for
educational expenses. Researchers and NGOs have proposed that support-
ing children's rights to earn an income, recognizing their unpaid social
reproductive work and enabling them to develop sustainable livelihoods
may be more helpful than denying children's right to work (Ansell, 2005).
As Jennings et al. (2006) comment about children's work in supermarkets
in Tijuana, Mexico, paid work may be associated with positive benefits for
children, such as demonstrating personal agency and contributing to their
family's economic needs. Similarly, involvement in unpaid domestic and
care work within the family may provide opportunities for young people to
develop life skills, take responsibility and demonstrate their competencies;
and it may build resilience and strengthen family relationships, rather
than necessarily leading to negative outcomes, depending on the extent
and nature of their care work (Evans, 2010).
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Education and Transitions to Adulthood
Education represents a central element in global constructions of a 'good
childhood' and achieving universal primary education and eliminating
