All things considered in my opinion child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights. No child should be forced into cheap labour with terrible working conditions. Children need to play. Adults need to work. It is our job to protect children from the hands of those who exploit them out of greed, power and corruption.
Our consumerism has led to a society which is always looking for the cheapest, fastest, easiest option. This way of functioning does not take human emotions and enviromental needs into consideration. Employing a child is easy, fast and cheap however the fear, the health risks, the trauma and damage that is done to these children can never be repaired. We must begin to support undercover journalists so that they can expose the people who exploit children and in turn we must stop supporting those companies by not buying from them. When we become ethical consumers we promote fair trade, equality and human rights. I want to have a clear conscience, don’t you? The change begins on an individual level.
Gaia Selini Oikonomou