However, across the world, millions of children do extremely hazardous work in harmful conditions, putting their health, education, development to adulthood and even their lives at risk. Young workers not only face dangerous working conditions. They face long term physical, intellectual and emotional stress. They face an adulthood of unemployment and illiteracy. Few human rights abuses are so widely condemned, yet so widely unnoticed.
Most children work because their families are poor and their labour is necessary for their survival.
Employers often exploit children because, compared to adults, they are more vulnerable, cheaper to hire and are less likely to demand higher wages or better working conditions. Some employers falsely argue that children are particularly suited to certain types of work because of their small size and 'nimble fingers'. For many parents, sending their children to school is not an option. Education is expensive and sometimes the nearest school is too far away. Some parents feel that what their children will learn is irrelevant to the realities of their everyday lives and futures.