Why do children work? An analisys of child labour in the carpet-belt industry

This paper – referring to India in general and to the carpet industry of Uttar Pradesh in particular - argues that economic poverty alone is a valid but not complete argument to explain child labour. Chapter one begins by exploring the definitions of “child work” and “child labour”. It then overviews the main theories on child labour, showing that a dominant section of these theories considers poverty the fundamental variable determining the incidence of child labour. Chapter two analyses child labour in the so-called “carpet-belt” industry in the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. After analyzing the peculiar socio-economic profile of this area, the chapter explores the most typical kinds of activities engaged by child weavers, as well as their living and working conditions.Chapter three investigates the main factors behind the use of child weavers. It shows that, contrary to popular opinion, economic poverty alone is an essential but imperfect proxy to explain child labour in the carpet-belt industry. There are, in fact, many other factors that conspire to drive children into employment, both on the demand and on the supply side. Lack of access to the credit market for poor families, lack of school infrastructures, caste-based discrimination and vested interests are among the most important. The lack of quality education proves also to be an important factor to explain the high incidence of child labour in Uttar Pradesh, where the failure of the educational system has led many parents to view work as the best option for their children. Chapter four deals with some of the most popular measures – both legal and political – used by the Government of India to reduce child labour. Finally it introduces a comprehensive policy package, stressing the importance of an educational reform that creates incentives for parents to send their children to school instead of work.