IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v10y2021i9p321-d620813.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are Working Children in Developing Countries Hidden Victims of Pandemics?

Author

Listed:
  • Polyxeni Kechagia

    (Department of Economics, University of Thessaly, 38333 Volos, Greece)

  • Theodore Metaxas

    (Department of Economics, University of Thessaly, 38333 Volos, Greece)

Abstract

The consequences of the recent pandemic have been disproportionately disruptive to several social groups, including children. As developing economies have been firefighting the recent pandemic, the welfare of minors could be affected and children’s economic exploitation and abuse could increase. Therefore, the present research aims to shed light on and to investigate the association between child labour in developing countries and pandemics, including the coronavirus, through conducting a systematic literature review on previous empirical studies. The present research concludes that previous studies on non-COVID-19 pandemics have mainly focused on the African economies, while studies on the recent pandemic have focused on Asian countries. In addition, differences were observed in relation to the methodological approaches and the characteristics of minor employees and the protection services in certain countries have proven to be insufficient. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are presented.

Suggested Citation

  • Polyxeni Kechagia & Theodore Metaxas, 2021. "Are Working Children in Developing Countries Hidden Victims of Pandemics?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:10:y:2021:i:9:p:321-:d:620813
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/9/321/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/9/321/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joydeb Sasmal & Jorge Guillen, 2015. "Poverty, Educational Failure and the Child-Labour Trap: The Indian Experience," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 16(2), pages 270-280, April.
    2. Gutiérrez-Romero, Roxana & Ahamed, Mostak, 2021. "COVID-19 response needs to broaden financial inclusion to curb the rise in poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    3. Roos Haer, 2019. "Children and armed conflict: looking at the future and learning from the past," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 74-91, January.
    4. Edmonds, Eric V. & Shrestha, Maheshwor, 2014. "You get what you pay for: Schooling incentives and child labor," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 196-211.
    5. Dillon, Andrew & Bardasi, Elena & Beegle, Kathleen & Serneels, Pieter, 2012. "Explaining variation in child labor statistics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(1), pages 136-147.
    6. Busse, Matthias & Braun, Sebastian, 2004. "Export Structure, FDI and Child Labour," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 19, pages 804-829.
    7. Jafarey, Saqib & Lahiri, Sajal, 2002. "Will trade sanctions reduce child labour?: The role of credit markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 137-156, June.
    8. Wagstaff, Adam, 2007. "The economic consequences of health shocks: Evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 82-100, January.
    9. Asfaw, Abay & von Braun, Joachim, 2004. "Is Consumption Insured against Illness? Evidence on Vulnerability of Households to Health Shocks in Rural Ethiopia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(1), pages 115-129, October.
    10. Goulas, Sofoklis & Megalokonomou, Rigissa, 2020. "School attendance during a pandemic," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    11. Shafiq, M. Najeeb, 2007. "Household schooling and child labor decisions in rural Bangladesh," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 946-966, December.
    12. Putnick, Diane L. & Bornstein, Marc H., 2015. "Is child labor a barrier to school enrollment in low- and middle-income countries?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 112-120.
    13. Sebastian Braun, 2006. "Core Labour Standards and FDI: Friends or Foes? The Case of Child Labour," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 142(4), pages 765-791, December.
    14. Islam, Asadul & Maitra, Pushkar, 2012. "Health shocks and consumption smoothing in rural households: Does microcredit have a role to play?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 232-243.
    15. George Psacharopoulos, 1997. "Child labor versus educational attainment Some evidence from Latin America," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 10(4), pages 377-386.
    16. Janine Huisman & Jeroen Smits, 2015. "Keeping Children in School," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    17. Christelle Dumas, 2020. "Productivity Shocks and Child Labor: The Role of Credit and Agricultural Labor Markets," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 68(3), pages 763-812.
    18. Guilherme Sedlacek & Suzanne Duryea & Nadeem Ilahi & Masaru Sasaki, 2009. "Child Labor, Schooling, and Poverty in Latin America," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Peter F. Orazem & Guilherme Sedlacek & Zafiris Tzannatos (ed.), Child Labor and Education in Latin America, chapter 2, pages 33-51, Palgrave Macmillan.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samson Adewumi & Patrick Bwowe, 2024. "Child Labour Challenges and Security Implications in Selected Local Government Areas in Ondo State, Nigeria," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-21, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Polyxeni Kechagia & Theodore Metaxas, 2023. "Capital Inflows and Working Children in Developing Countries: An Empirical Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Kechagia, Polyxeni & Metaxas, Theodore, 2020. "FDI, child labor and gender issues in Sub – Saharan Africa: an empirical approach," MPRA Paper 104311, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Elias Dinopoulos & Laixun Zhao, 2007. "Child Labor and Globalization," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 25(3), pages 553-579.
    4. Neelsen, Sven & Limwattananon, Supon & O'Donnell, Owen & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2019. "Universal health coverage: A (social insurance) job half done?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 246-258.
    5. Basco, Sergi & Domènech, Jordi & Rosés, Joan R., 2021. "The redistributive effects of pandemics: Evidence on the Spanish flu," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    6. Congdon Fors, Heather, 2024. "Child Labour Background, Challenges, and the Role of Research in Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8.7," Working Papers in Economics 840, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    7. Nguyen, Trung Thanh & Do, Truong Lam & Halkos, George & Wilson, Clevo, 2020. "Health shocks and natural resource extraction: A Cambodian case study," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    8. Islam, Asad & Nguyen, Chau, 2018. "Do networks matter after a natural disaster? A study of resource sharing within an informal network after Cyclone Aila," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 249-268.
    9. Islam, Asadul & Maitra, Pushkar, 2012. "Health shocks and consumption smoothing in rural households: Does microcredit have a role to play?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 232-243.
    10. Zelalem Yilma & Anagaw Mebratie & Robert Sparrow & Degnet Abebaw & Marleen Dekker & Getnet Alemu & Arjun S. Bedi, 2014. "Coping with shocks in rural Ethiopia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(7), pages 1009-1024, July.
    11. Edmonds, Eric V., 2008. "Child Labor," Handbook of Development Economics, in: T. Paul Schultz & John A. Strauss (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 57, pages 3607-3709, Elsevier.
    12. Owen (O.A.) O'Donnell, 2019. "Financial Protection Against Medical Expense," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 19-010/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    13. André, Pierre & Delesalle, Esther & Dumas, Christelle, 2021. "Returns to farm child labor in Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    14. sowmya, 2015. "Health Shocks and Short-Term Consumption GrowthAuthor-Name: Sowmya Dhanaraj," Working Papers 2015-112, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.
    15. Robert Sparrow & Ellen Van de Poel & Gracia Hadiwidjaja & Athia Yumna & Nila Warda & Asep Suryahadi, "undated". "Financial Consequences of Ill Health and Informal Coping Mechanisms in Indonesia," Working Papers 296, Publications Department.
    16. Tesfamicheal Wossen & Salvatore Falco & Thomas Berger & William McClain, 2016. "You are not alone: social capital and risk exposure in rural Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(4), pages 799-813, August.
    17. Dammert, Ana C. & de Hoop, Jacobus & Mvukiyehe, Eric & Rosati, Furio C., 2018. "Effects of public policy on child labor: Current knowledge, gaps, and implications for program design," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 104-123.
    18. repec:agg:journl:1360 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Arjun S. Bedi & Sparrow, R.A., 2014. "Sickness and death," ISS Working Papers - General Series 51366, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    20. Sven Neelsen & Supon Limwattananon & Owen O'Donnell & Eddy van Doorslaer, 2015. "Economic Impact of Illness with Health Insurance but without Income Insurance," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 15-060/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    21. Dalton, Michael & LaFave, Daniel, 2017. "Mitigating the consequences of a health condition: The role of intra- and interhousehold assistance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 38-52.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:10:y:2021:i:9:p:321-:d:620813. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.