Child
Rights Glossary : P
PAEDOPHILE
Someone who is sexually attracted to young children. It is believed
that stringent laws against paedophile could be one of the most
ways of combating child sexual abuse.
POVERTY
Poverty is one of the most not only crucial but also controversial
factors as far as the realisation of all child rights, including
anti-child labour rights, is concerned. It has an enormous impact
on the overall implementation of the 1989 Child Rights Convention,
which among other things recognises the child’s right to
education, and protection from any form of exploitation.
There is a very close link between poverty and education, between
poverty and illiteracy, between poverty and health, and between
poverty and all forms child exploitation. There have always been
heated debates, for example, about poverty being a key factor
or cause of child labour in developing countries. One school of
thought believes poverty is one the major causes of child labour,
and that it is inevitable in the third world. They argue that
child labour represents the natural order of realities in these
countries, as it is the economic constraints that actually force
the children to work.
The other school of thought believes the situation is actually
vice versa; child labour only perpetuates poverty, and is not
necessarily caused by poverty. The argument is justified by the
fact that more than 250 million children are working as child
labourers in the world, whilst the figure for adult unemployment
exceeds the number of child labourers. Thus if all the working
children were withdrawn from work and sent to school, and had
their jobs occupied by adults, poverty would have been tremendously
been reduced.
In the foreword for the Child Labour In India Bibliography, A.
P. Verma, Indian National Labour Institute (NILI) Director, writes:
The phenomenon of the increasing number of child labour despite
clear-cut policy to bring about their progressive elimination
is a matter of genuine concern. One of the major factors, which
have thwarted any serious effort to achieve this objective (of
ending child labour), is the general lack of knowledge about the
real factors that give rise to this phenomenon. Often the general
perception is clouded by a large number of myths and stereotypes
perpetuated by people who have vested interests in the continuance
of this socially and undesirable practice. No wonder, that one
repeatedly hears that child labour exists because poverty exists.
On the other hand, we at the NLI believe that poverty exists because
child labour exits.
Children need money to learn and grow
For developing countries, however, reducing poverty levels is
becoming a very critical both political and social issue. The
developed countries, those whose general poverty levels are drastically
lower, have also been affected politically and humanitarianly,
by way of donating financial aid to poor countries.
Save the children website:
Poverty kills 30,000 children a day. Millions miss out on healthcare,
education and the chance of a better future. It doesn't have to
be this way.
In a decade when world leaders have made so many promises, the
1990s saw the amount of overseas aid to developing countries fall.
In 1970 the world's wealthiest nations, including the UK, agreed
to spend 0.7 per cent of their respective national incomes on
overseas aid. In over 30 years, only five countries have met this
0.7 per cent target. The UK is not one of them. Despite its promise,
the UK spends less than half the agreed target on overseas aid
and has not even set a timetable by which to achieve it. This
is unacceptable. Together we can take action and ensure the UK
government keeps its promise.
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