Child labor is very common and can include working in factories, mines, construction, agriculture, helping in parents’ businesses, having a personal business (such as selling food), or engaging in unconventional work. Unacceptable forms of child labor include the use of children in military activities and child trafficking. Less controversial and usually legal (with some restrictions) forms of child labor include agricultural work during school holidays (seasonal work), working outside of school hours, and child acting or singing. Child labor has existed in various forms throughout history, but with the advent of universal education and changes in working conditions due to industrialization, the concepts of workers’ rights and children’s rights have been criticized and debated. Child labor continues to be prevalent in places where the school leaving age is low.

According to Article 79 of the Labor Law and the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, child labor is prohibited. Iran also accepted this convention in 1994 and is committed to its implementation.

But it is enough to spend a day in the city and encounter a flood of children who, during the hours they should be in class or engaging in childlike activities, extend their hands and sell goods to passersby. These are just a small portion of the child laborers seen in Iran. Needless to say, many children are forced to give up their childhood and work in workshops, homes, and farms without any supervision from responsible institutions.

Child labor statistics

According to the report of the “Statistical Center of Iran” (2008), close to two million and five hundred thousand children are living as child laborers in the country, and this number is currently estimated to be over four million according to some reports.

According to a study conducted on 4133 street children, 73% of these children suffer from eye diseases, 61% from respiratory diseases, 64% from heart diseases, 69% from hearing impairments, and 61% from attention deficit disorder. 82% of them also have skin diseases. 61% of these children have speech problems. In total, 86% of them lack any job skills and 56% of these children have not received basic education.

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“The rate of child labor and street children with AIDS is four and a half percent, which is 45 times higher than the rate of AIDS in society, which is 0.1 percent. If we pay attention to the laws related to child labor and then to actions such as the “Breadwinners” festival by a government institution, we will see a contradictory situation that seems to be irreparable in the near future. Such actions must be challenged, and officials must be held accountable. But this question should not only be addressed to the motives behind holding such festivals, but also in a way that highlights the serious and root problem of child labor. A problem that is mentioned in the law, but in reality, a different event is taking place inside these places.”

The future of child labor in society.

Saeed Ma’eedfar, a sociology professor at Tehran University, believes that regardless of the circumstances, a child who must go through the stages of growth and education in order to find future opportunities, will not be well-educated.

He reminded us of the problem of street children and stated: Being on the street literally means becoming a stranger, begging and establishing unhealthy interactions with society; all of which lead to the expulsion of a child.

This sociologist also mentioned children who are working in workshops and said: all these children are dealing with adults who do not have affection and compassion towards them, and as a result, the emotions of children are damaged and they may become tools and forces for delinquency in the future. Many of these children will become addicted, delinquent, and overall problematic individuals in their future careers.

A member of the faculty of Tehran University also mentioned that some working children are among those who migrate from deprived rural areas to urban areas, but are unable to find opportunities for economic and cultural integration in the city; these children are also at risk of serious harm.

A lost childhood.

Dr. Shiva Doulatabadi, CEO of the Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights, believes that the reasons and psychological damages of child labor are: working children when it replaces their comprehensive education and growth, is an injustice and oppression to children, which is considered a symbol of human rights violation.

A member of the faculty of Shahid Beheshti University stated that the first task of a child is education, and emphasized that education paves the way for integration into society and serves as a measure of children’s opportunities and abilities. If they are deprived of this opportunity, their rights are violated in all aspects.

This psychologist discussed the various types of work that children do and said: Some children in villages help their parents in a limited way, and this work prepares them for their future life. These children feel secure because they are with their families.

He also added: Another general division is the work of children, which includes both visible and hidden work. Visible work is the work that we see all over the world and unfortunately in our own country, where children are busy working on the streets and in visible urban areas during hours when they should be studying.

The government described child labor as follows: hidden work includes working in workshops with less than 10 employees, which are not subject to labor supervision, or working at home where they are occupied with it all day. Tasks such as packaging and breaking sugar are considered as a serious and full-time job for them, not a short-term task.

This university professor considered the deprivation of children from education, growth, and the so-called “childhood” to have negative consequences and pointed out: all these consequences stem from their departure from the natural cycle of growth, which is not being placed under the shelter of education.

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Rights Support Association, I consider the forced labor of children to be a great tragedy and especially when they see other children going to school. Therefore, the first problem we witness is deprivation and awareness of this deprivation, and poverty is the root cause of this deprivation.

Dowlat-Abadi continued: Being aware of this deprivation is a heavy burden for children. However, the second consequence is the dangers of adult life with limited abilities of childhood, as they are forced to behave like adults and face the dangers of adult life such as humiliation, belittlement, punishment, and expulsion.

University professor Shahid Beheshti, while stating that in order to understand humans, we must pay attention to the process of identity formation, reminded us that the foundations of identity are laid in childhood and adolescence is the period of solidifying them. It is during this time that an individual asks themselves what connection they have to their society and what responsibilities they have towards it.

He continued, “If individuals are not given the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging and do not see themselves as part of the main body of society, they will remain in a state of marginalization, unless an extraordinary event occurs that connects them to the social body. By remaining on the margins, I do not mean being a bystander, but rather being on the fringes of human connections and social values.”