Child Labor

It is stories like this one that make me support manufacturing jobs in developing countries. The article in the NY Times describes how child labor is decreasing all over the world with one exception, sub-Saharan Africa. In situations like the one described, families have to find any way they can to make enough money to eat. In this case a nine-year-old boy breaks rocks down to be sold for cement. My opinion is that if more manufacturing jobs, even those with questionable safety practices came in, scenerios like the one described would decrease. Granted, there are a lot of issues at play here. Deaths from HIV / AIDS play a huge part in breaking up families and leaving children orphaned. Also, conflicts in the region lead to displacement, famine, disease and restrict foreign investment and domestic growth.

As I see it, a number of things have to happen to improve this situation. One, which is probably the most important but that I find a little unlikely given the slow progress on Darfur, is to decide that peace and security in sub-Saharan Africa is a priority. The number of people killed or displaced in the region due to conflict is in the millions. No progress will be made until the conflicts end. Secondly, we need to take bigger strides in prenting the spread of HIV / AIDS as well as treating those that have it. Investment in this area has been going up, but much more needs to be done.

Lastly, and still very important, we need to encourage economic growth, which includes not being strict when it comes to labor practices. We have to realize that the working conditions in the jobs that are available in these countries (not just in Africa, but other developing countries) are similar if not worse than the conditions at the manufacturing jobs that come in. I would never advocate for boycotting agriculture products from developing countries if I found out that the workers are underpaid and overworked, and so I don't advocate similar actions when it comes to manufacturing. This is especially true because the boycotts often have the effect of closing down the factory or at least discouraging new ones from opening. Wages will never go up, and conditions will not improve, until these economies grow. So what we need to do is enourage the building of more factories, not less, and the consumption of more of their agriculture products, and less of ours if need be.