The World Day Against Child Labor is commemorated on June 12, with the aim of denouncing the exploitation of children that takes place in many countries around the world, where children are forced to work, denying them the right to education, health and a full life that allows them to achieve their full development and well-being.
What is child labor?
One of the main objectives of the International Labor Organization (ILO) since its foundation has been to abolish child labor by adopting and supervising minimum age labor standards, which should coincide with the age at which compulsory school attendance ceases.
Child labor, which is prohibited under international law, comprises three categories:
- The worst forms of child labor: slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labor, recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities.
- Work performed by children below the minimum age specified for such work under national law, in accordance with internationally accepted standards, that hinders the child’s education and full development.
- Work that endangers the physical, mental or moral well-being of the child, either by its very nature or because of the conditions under which it is performed, referred to as hazardous work.
Films that address child labor
On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labor, at 3Love Inc. we would like to mention three fiction films and three documentaries that address this issue and invite us to reflect on this problem.
- “Not One Less” (China, 1999). Director: Zhang Yimou. This drama tells the story of Wei Minzhi, a 13-year-old girl who lives in a mountain village. One day the mayor orders her to replace her teacher for a month, promising her 10 yuan if she gets no student to drop out of school. However, the unruly Zhang Huike leaves the school to go to the city in search of work, and the selfless Minzhi will have to manage to get him back to school. It won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival.
- “Oliver Twist” (United Kingdom, 2005). Director: Roman Polanski. This adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name tells the story of the life of the orphan boy Oliver Twist. After being expelled from an orphanage, he escapes and arrives in London. There he is forced to work for the evil Fagin, who runs a gang of child pickpockets.
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (United Kingdom, 2008). Director: Danny Boyle. In this film, a contestant on the TV show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” narrates all the hardships and obstacles he, his brother and a friend suffered as children, thus exposing the conditions of exploitation, prostitution and child labor faced by children in India. It won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture.
- “The Inheritors” (Mexico, 2008). Director: Eugenio Polgovsky. This documentary portrays the lives of Mexican children who begin working in the fields at an early age and shows their daily struggle to survive. The realities of these children mirror those of their ancestors. It won the trophy for best documentary at the Lima Film Festival and the Ariel Awards.
- “The Dark Side of Chocolate” (Denmark, 2010). Directors: Miki Mistrati and U. Roberto Romano. This documentary denounces the exploitation of African children working in chocolate production. Danish journalist Miki Mistrati investigated this case and found that children are forced to perform forced labor, while being physically abused and paid low wages or even no wages at all. Some stay there until they die and several never see their families again.
“Invisible Hands” (United States, 2018). Director: Shraysi Tandon. This documentary exposes child labor and child trafficking in the supply chains of the world’s largest corporations. Shot in six countries, the film offers a harrowing account of children as young as five years old who manufacture the products we buy and consume every day. The chilling images show how children are sold like animals to the highest bidder and how others suffer the abuses of slave labor.
