In the child’s best interests? Legislation on children’s work in rural Ethiopia

Journal article

An abolitionist approach to children’s work bans all work; a regulatory approach bans harmful work and regulates other work. I argue for a regulatory approach, using the “least restrictive alternative” test commonly applied in law. I contend, however, that definitions of harmful work must appropriately specific to local contexts and informed by the views of working children. I support this with a case study of a village in Ethiopia, where the current abolitionist approach is overly restrictive. However, a regulatory approach based on international definitions of harmful work would probably not protect children against some harmful work. Children and their parents have a better understanding of which work is harmful, so local definitions ought to be the basis of regulatory legislation.

Authors: Orkin, K

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Journal: Journal of International Development
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 1102-1114
• Publication date: 2010-11-01
• Edition: Accepted Manuscript
• DOI: 10.1002/jid.1749
• EISSN: 1099-1328
• ISSN: 0954-1748
• Language: English
• Keywords: Conventions on the Rights of the Child; children's work; Ethiopia; Minimum Age Convention; child labour; Child protection
• Subjects: Children and youth