What problems do working children in Zimbabwe experience? How can they best be heard and supported? A book draws attention to the plight of working children and suggests ways forward, while acknowledging that children’s earning are essential to the livelihoods of many marginalised families.

Rather than focusing on children’s work as a problem, the book argues that work is usually a solution to greater problems and that, in most cases, stopping children from working would worsen their situation. Work in itself is not problematic, but rather the manner in which some children are treated when working. Some forms of work are exploitative or dangerous.

In Zimbabwe, children work in both formal and informal employment, as street vendors, prostitutes and domestic workers, and in commercial farming, mines and tea and coffee estates. While children’s formal employment receives much attention and criticism, informal employment often involves longer hours and lower pay, and is sometimes concealed as work for the family under fictitious kinship ties. Children work in a variety of contexts outside normal formal and legal structures, and these informal, sometimes hidden forms of employment are difficult to monitor or control in terms of type of work, hours and remuneration. In addition, many children do unpaid work for their families, for example agricultural or caring work. Such work is not easily controlled and some children may be exploited and receive insufficient attention to their health and education.

The book considers immediate concerns about working children, and makes recommendations for longer-term policies. Immediate concerns include instances of violence against children, the harassment and abuse of street children, and the lack of structures to protect young domestic workers.

Research findings include:

• Many Zimbabwean children do need to work, and adults should be encouraged to supply the necessary employment, and to ensure that children receive the necessary support and protection.
• Both practical plans of action and reflection on attitudes towards working children are needed.
• A child-centred approach is needed: adults must take children’s views seriously concerning their reasons for working, the problems solved by working, the areas in which they feel abused or neglected, and the areas where they feel change is needed.
• Appropriate forums are needed where children can air their experiences and opinions.

Ways forward were discussed at a workshop on working children in Zimbabwe held in Harare in 2000:

• Although legislation alone will not resolve working children’s problems, it can support other programmes. Existing laws protecting working children must be better publicised and their implementation monitored.
• Codes of conduct are needed for both formal and informal employment and unpaid work.
• Children need support services, e.g. counselling services, education, skills training and health services.
• Community structures, e.g. church groups, can be used to uncover and monitor hidden forms of child labour and to support children.
• Adults in all communities must be made aware of their responsibilities towards all children in their community.
• Publicity campaigns must raise awareness of children’s rights and of issues concerning working children, and emphasise the need to involve children in finding solutions.

Source(s):
‘Earning a life: working children in Zimbabwe’, Weaver Press, Michael Bourdillon (ed.), 2000 Full document.

Funded by: Redd Barna

id21 Research Highlight: 14 November 2002

Further Information:
Michael Bourdillon
University of Zimbabwe
Mt Pleasant
Harare
Zimbabwe

Tel: +263 4 303211

University of Zimbabwe

Weaver Press
Box A1922
Avondale
Harare
Zimbabwe

Contact the contributor: weaver@mweb.co.zw

Weaver Press, Zimbabwe

Other related links:
'Turning indignation into action: can child labour be wiped out?'

'Policy or poverty? Links between child labour and educational failure'

'Do child rights travel well? Evidence from Bangladesh'

'Trapped by parental control ? Child labour migrants in India'

Understanding Child's Work provides data on child labour

ILO works for the progressive elimination of child labour worldwide

KIT focuses on street children