AMERICA/HONDURAS - Dumps, fields, hotels, restaurants, roads exploit the work force of over 400 thousand children

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Internet

Tegucigalpa (Agenzia Fides) - In Honduras, more than 400,000 children and teenagers are forced to work in order to survive. According to a study carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), over the past five years, child labor has increased by 40,000 units, ranging from 379,000 to 598,000. This represents 15.3% of the Honduran population between 5 to 17 years of age. The National Human Rights Commission warns that children are often forced into exhausting work days that reach up to 16 hours, which means that 61% only work and drop out of school.
According to the INE study, about 3 working children out of 4 are males engaged mainly in agriculture, fishing, commerce, hotels, restaurants, communal services and manufacturing industry. Girls are employed in domestic activities and in homes where they are exposed to physical, emotional abuse, as well as being underpaid. Dumps are another scenario where one of the worst forms of child labor is takes place in the collection of solid waste. Children are often used by parents to sell on the streets and contribute to family livelihood. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 21/6/2017)


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