Child Labor
According to the International Organization of Migration (IOM), child labor is any work performed by a child that is detrimental to their health, education, physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
Defining “child labor” is often difficult because nations often have different laws concerning when childhood begins and ends. While international law stipulates children are all those under the age of 18, this contradicts some national laws that may consider childhood age to be under 13 or 15.
Child Labor in Cambodia
According to a UN study on child labor, nearly 1.5 million Cambodian children between the ages of 7 and 17 are engaging in child labor. This represents an estimated 40% of the country’s 7 to 17 year olds, and is considered to be a very conservative estimate. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that more than 250,000 Cambodian children spend most of their childhood in the worst forms of child labor. The worst forms of child labor are considered to be any practices similar to slavery and practices that are sexually exploitative.
