Child labor has a long and complex history, with the exploitation of children for labor dating back to ancient civilizations. In modern times, efforts to ban child labor have been ongoing for over a century, with various international and national laws being put in place to protect the rights of children.
The first international effort to ban child labor was the 1919 International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, which set the minimum age for employment at 14 years old. This was followed by the 1926 ILO Convention on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (Industry), which raised the minimum age to 15 years old.
In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established a minimum age of 16 for employment in non-agricultural jobs and 14 for employment in agricultural jobs. However, it was not until the 1970s that child labor began to receive widespread attention and efforts to eliminate it intensified.
In 1979, the ILO adopted the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, which called for the immediate and complete abolition of the worst forms of child labor, including slavery, debt bondage, and forced labor. This was followed by the 1993 ILO Convention on the Minimum Age for Employment, which set the minimum age for employment at 15 years old, with some exceptions for developing countries.
In 2002, the ILO adopted the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which further strengthened protections for children against exploitation and abuse.
In addition to international efforts, many countries have also enacted their own national laws to prohibit child labor. For example, in India, the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was passed in 1986, which prohibited the employment of children under the age of 14 in certain hazardous industries.
Overall, the efforts to ban child labor have come a long way, but there is still much work to be done to eliminate this practice completely. While child labor has decreased significantly in many parts of the world, it remains a serious issue in many developing countries, where children are often forced to work in dangerous and exploitative conditions. It is important that we continue to work towards the complete elimination of child labor and ensure that all children have the opportunity to receive an education and reach their full potential.