Child Labor In Bolivia

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Child labor occurs in different parts of the world. However one country that has a significant amount of children working is Bolivia. Bolivia does not have many laws on child labor. Since Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, poverty is not uncommon. In actuality, it is very common. Therefore many children have to work in order to survive. Child labor is defined as “the work done by persons younger than the age of adulthood (eighteen in many countries) that is abusive, exploitative, hazardous, or otherwise harmful” (Global Issues in Context). In Bolivia child labor is common because of the fact that Bolivia is a developing country which has many areas of impoverishment. In just Latin America and the Caribbean, there is an estimated “13 million children (8.8 percent of all children) in work” (Aldridge Vol. 2). Many children in Bolivia work in mines and factories. These children usually live in communities where there is poverty and it is a necessity for all members of the family to work. Kids from the age of 6 work in mines in Bolivia. Some children work 8 hours a day, seven days a week, starting from the young age of 8, …show more content…
Children from Bolivia’s Union of Child and Adolescent Workers, made a statement to a reporter about the new law saying, “Look, we have to work. Our families don't have enough money. We want to give our mothers money so that they can buy food. We want to buy our school supplies. And we work, and we're going to continue to work. So this gives us an opportunity to be recognized and to be more protected as young workers” ("Bolivia Makes Child Labor Legal, In An Attempt To Make It Safer"). This shows that these children have to work and are willing to work in order to survive in Bolivia. The law was passed to ensure that children living in poverty would be able to make an income especially those who are unable to go to