Available statistics suggest that more boys than girls work. Girls, moreover, tend to work longer hours, on average, than do boys. This is especially true for the many girls employed as domestic workers, a type of employment in which hours of work are typically extremely long. This is also the case of girls employed in other types of jobs who, in addition to their professional activity, must help with the housework in their parents' home. One of the factors affecting the supply of child labour is the high cost, in real terms, of obtaining an education.
Many children work to cover the costs of school expenses.
If child dexterity is not uniquely necessary to knot the finest carpets, it is difficult to imagine other trades for which the 'nimble fingers' argument could be valid. Eliminating child slavery and the most abusive forms of child labour Many working children face significant threats to their health and safety. The majority are involved in farming and are rotinely exposed to harsh climate, sharpened tools, heavy loads as well, increasingly, as to toxic chemicals and motorized equipment. Others, particularly girls working as domestic servants away from their homes, are frequent victims of physical, mental and sexual abuses which can have devastating consequences on their health. The AIDS epidemic is a contributing factor to this trend, as adults see the use of children for sexual purposes as the best means of preventing infection.