Egypt: Child Labor A Growing Problem As Food Prices Rise

Jessica Otey/ April 10, 2008/ 8:33 pm/ Labor Problems

The incidence of child labor is expected to increase in Egypt as food prices are starting to go up and inflation is taking a toll on the economy. Many families have to send their children out to earn money in order to be able to meet the needs of the family. Many parents are struggling to support their family off of their income alone. As of right now, twenty percent of Egypt’s population lives below the poverty line.

Sadly, the country estimates that there are 1.5 million children working who are between the ages of six and seventeen. Many of these children, in order to help their family, go to work in brick factories. Here they make about $4.50 a day. Sometimes these kids are beaten by their employers if they do not like the job that they have done. Of course, some factories have much better working conditions than others.

Usually, the country provides subsidized food and other essential items but, right now it is having a hard time providing these supplies due to inflation. They are however looking into ways of protecting children from harmful working conditions, but they sound a bit discouraged. Officials believe that their efforts will not have a big impact because families are forced to send their children into the work force in order to survive.

It seems like these families don’t have any choice over whether to send their children to work or not. If they don’t get their kids to bring in additional income then their family could lose everything that they have and even starve to death. It’s really sad that these families have so little options.
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