Child labour refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity. Work that is usually mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children, and/or interferes with children’s opportunity for schooling are defined as “child labour”. To define whether or not a case is child labour depends on different countries' regulations and policies that limit the child’s age, type and hours of work performed, and working conditions.
International Labour Organization (ILO) has set the general minimum age for admission to employment or work at 15 years (13 for light work) and the minimum age for hazardous work at 18 (16 under certain strict conditions). This fundamental convention sets the general minimum age for It provides for the possibility of initially setting the general minimum age at 14 (12 for light work) where the economy and educational facilities are insufficiently developed.
According to ILO, 160 million children (63 million girls and 97 million boys) suffer child labor, estimating almost 1 in 10 all children around the world are child labours. Nearly half of the child labours are in hazardous work.
