by Heba Metwally PhD. Candidate, Cairo University

Child Labor Phenomenon: A Visual Communication
and Anthropological Study in Egypt.
by
Heba Metwally
PhD. Candidate, Cairo University
Introduction
A twelve-year-old Omar, the batata
seller[1], has become an important issue
in Egypt. Most of the Egyptian news and
talk shows channels have tackled this
accident. Omar has been killed in Feb.
2013 while he was present during the
protests just to get money to help his
family. He has only one hope: to sell his
batata to the protesters, and to give
money to his parents.
[1] Omar, the batata (sweet potato) seller, is a boy who is shot
dead by a military conscript. The Minister of Defense has
expressed his sorrow that the boy has died by mistake and that
the perpetrator is now under investigation.
Unfortunately, no one of our rulers have cared for Omar or other
working children, and instead it was reported that relatives of high
officials have gained high positions in the governmental body
during:
► Mubarak
► The
Military Council
► Morsi
► Adly
► El
Mansour
Sisi
Previous studies determine that:
►
215 millions of children suffer from child labor globally.
►
Although Egypt is one of the signatories of the ILO Agreement 138 on "the
minimum age for work", and Agreement 182 on "the worst forms of child
labor", working children phenomenon is increasing to a large extent (Feteha &
Gunn, 2011).
►
Six months later after the Egyptian revolution, the Egyptian Central Agency
for Public Mobilization and Statistics has announced that there are around
1.594 million children between the ages of five and 17 working in Egypt
(Amira Saleh, 2011).
►
However, the Institute of National Planning, as mentioned in Saleh's article,
has estimated working children in Egypt to be around 2 to 3 million children.
►
Those children are suffering from bad circumstances. Fears have also elevated
that this percent may increase due to the financial crisis and economic
problems that Egypt suffers from after the revolution.
Local and International Efforts to Eliminate Child Labor
►
The Egyptian law has banned the work of children under 15 years old because
it has bad effects on the child health and future, and the child by that is forced
to suspend his education (Darwish, 1998).
►
Simon Ingram (2006) has highlighted the new national strategy adopted by the
Egyptian Government against practice, and the programs that ensure adequate
assistance for working children. Ingram’s study refers to the social workers
who visit the working children in their workplaces and provide them with
gloves, and other safety equipment.
►
International Organizations such as the ILO and UNICEF have constantly
assisted nations such as Egypt in dealing with this phenomenon, as well as,
clarifying the working conditions of young children to the public opinion
(Feteha & Gunn, 2011).
►
UNICEF's child labor strategy in Egypt is based on: avoiding more children
from involving into work; developing the quality of life of working children
by offering them education, physical care and entertainment; collaborating
with other organizations to improve working conditions for parents and
caregivers (Ingram, 2006).
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Applying the Structural Functionalism theory (1920s) to
child labor phenomenon, one may find that it has different
dimensions:
►
Social dimension: children grow in separated families with no linkage
between the fathers, mothers, and children. Everyone depends on
himself. Everyone is personally independent from the others, which
force those children to work in this earlier age.
►
Economic dimension: low income of the family, forces children to
work earlier to achieve their essential needs.
►
Cultural aspect: lack of interest in education value in the opinion of
individuals which results in fleeing from education.
►
Psychological aspect: is shown in the hatred of school due to the
sense of failure. Finally, the missing role of the state, as the country,
through minimal exerted efforts, fails to present the required role of
support for those children, and this forces them to resort to work.
Research Approach
The researcher investigates the child labor phenomenon through:
► Field
observation
► In-depth
interviews
► Photography
► Drama
analysis.
Methodological Framework
►
The study uses a descriptive and analytical methodology, as it aims to monitor and
analyze the features and characteristics of working children.
►
The study also comprises an interpretation of pictures taken from field for those
children and the different types of their jobs.
►
The study mainly depends on the field approach. The researcher has used the field
observation as a natural setting of qualitative research method of analysis through
field visits to the manufacturing areas of Shoubra El Shahel and Shoubra El Khema, as
well as, working children in El Obour City.
►
In-depth interviews are also used to gather detailed information to understand the
problem under investigation (Wimmer & Dominick, 2003).
►
The study will also use the picture analysis method through the interpretation of
pictures taken from field like children working in hard jobs in the manufacturing areas
and in cleaning the streets or carrying and dragging fruits in a new city.
►
The study will also analyze some of the Egyptian drama that fits the purpose of this
study, as the researcher attempts to explore the representation of working children.
Operational Framework
►
Population of the study:
1st population: working children and shops'
owners to explore the nature and reasons
of the phenomenon.
2nd population: Egyptian experts in their fields:
1.
Policemen, who should apply the law on
ground
2.
Cinema directors and media persons
(journalists), and Psychiatrists, to
investigate the effects and solutions to
eliminate the problem.
Operational Framework
►
►
Sample of the study:
The study targeted child labor issue and children who come from
poor families with a low income, the sample of areas within the
study will depend mainly on two areas, Shoubra El Sahel Area,
and Shoubra El Khama Area, where slums and child labor exist.
►
►
Sample of Child Labor in Streets:
An available or a convenience non probability sample of working
children in different types of work is used through the field
observation of children working at the mechanic shops or other
different types of jobs.
►
►
Movies Sample:
A purposive sample is used to select the different types of drama
that fits the purpose of the research to explore the phenomenon
in drama.
Research Hypotheses and Questions
►
Research Hypotheses:
►
RH1: There is a significant relationship between child labor phenomenon and
living in slums in Egypt.
►
RH2: There is a significant relationship between child labor phenomenon and
the educational level of parents in Egypt.
►
RH3: There is a significant relationship between child labor phenomenon and
the socio-economic levels in Egypt.
►
RH4: There is a significant relationship between child labor phenomenon and
separation of the parents in Egypt.
►
Research Questions:
►
RQ1: What is the nature of child labor phenomenon and its reasons in Egypt?
►
RQ2: What are the factors that cause the child labor phenomenon in Egypt?
►
RQ3: What are the solutions to the child labor phenomenon in Egypt?
RESULTS OF FIELD & IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS STUDY
►
Bad economic status and low family income of children
working in these shops.
►
The negative role of school and its hatred.
►
Failure of the educational system and the insignificant
role of school.
►
Children resort to learn a vocational job after their failure
to continue their education.
►
Incorrect Usage of New Technologies.
Bad economic status and low family income of children working in these shops
►
For example Karam (12 years old) quits school education
from two years ago during the fourth primary grade.
►
His family consists of 6 members: Ahmed, the father,
who works in repairing photocopy machines in one of the
companies, and he obtains 600 L.E. (less than 90 US
Dollars).
►
His mum is working as a vegetable seller.
►
According to his brothers: Mohamed is the oldest (19
years old) and helps the father in his work, Mustafa, 17
years old boy, who works in a chicken shop, and Noura,
a 15 years old girl, and the only one who is still in
education from the family.
The negative role of school and its hatred.
►
Karam states that the reasons behind his fleeing
from school are:
1.
Miss Aziza, who beats him hardly, has led him to
escape from school.
2.
His mother does not have the amount of money
(100 L.E. to 150 L.E) which is required by the
superintendent to help him to cheat in the exam
like the other students.
The failure of the educational system and the insignificant role of school
►
Hajj Ahmed, a mechanic in the manufacturing area in
Shoubra El Sahel area, says.
►
His son Islam is working with him during the vacation
after he finished his exams. He says, "my son passes and
becomes the first of his class with our money.
►
He assures that his son who has passed and is promoted
as the first of his class to the fifth primary grade can not
even read.
The children resort to learn a vocational job after their failure
to continue their education.
►
Karam has asserted the importance to learn a professional work
that helps and maintains him and his family.
►
Nour has also seen this professional work as a way to gain his
living.
Incorrect Usage of New Technologies
►
Children tends to spend long times in front of
the T.V. and Computer games, like Nour who is
17 years old and works in a manufacturing
shop in Shoubra El Khama.
►
Osta Magdi confirms that Nour, his brother's
son has spent long times at the Cyber which
led to his failure at school, and he has not
completed his third preparatory grade.
Constructive Effects of Child Labor
1.
Gaining and learning a new profession.
2.
Ability to do a job.
3.
Cooperation with the family.
Negative Effects of Child labor
1.
Child prohibition of his normal and
natural rights: s/he can't practice their
right of education and playing, as the
child spends the whole day at work.
2.
Physical harmful injuries from the
employer or the owner of the shop:
Karam says: "my uncle beats me and
slaps my face to teach me”.
On his side, Osta Magdi, a shop owner,
says, "I am praying for my uncle because
he has taught me a profession that I earn
money from". The physical injuries
during his childhood are quite obvious on
his hand. His uncle has done that because
Magdi has lost his focus while work, so
his uncle thinks that this is the best way
to keep him focus while work by terribly
injuring him with an instrument used in
soldering.
Negative Effects of Child labor
3.
Exploitation of the family: This child is exploited by
his family in this small age, for he leaves school to find
himself surrounded by larger responsibilities, as in
Karam’s case.
4.
Dangers that face the child during work: the child
may be exposed to dangers during soldering or other
dangers while dealing with the oxygen cylinder. In
Magdi's shop, he is keen to do soldering works by
himself, as shown in the pictures, but the problem if he is
not present, and Nour or any other child tries to do it
himself.
5.
Dangers that face the child from incorrect breeding:
if the owner of the shop obtains drugs, this will
encourage the child to imitate him. Osta Magdi says his
uncle used to have drugs, but he, thanks to God, has not
imitated him, and he instead has preferred to continue his
education till he obtains a secondary commercial school.
He says that he is trying to forbid Nour to stand if there
is a client who is known for obtaining drugs, in order not
to see and imitate him.
6.
Child labor is not authorized: usually shop owners
refrain to mention the names of the working children
because it is illegal. Children don't have any license to
work below the acceptable age.
Pictures of Working Children in Other Different fields
Interviewing Specialists of the field
►
Because the jurisprudents have neglected to intensively tackle child labor laws,
the policemen have also neglected them during the actual practice of applying
laws on ground, we don't find for example the policemen monitoring or
observing those children on the actual ground to discover if those children are
exposed to any harm or not, or to explore if they are working below the age of
15 or not. El Sayed and Walid (Personal Communication) "Although the law is
present, the practice is lost".
►
Nashae Said, a psychiatrist (Personal Communication), says that child
labor is a socio-economic phenomenon, and the increase of the living
levels of individuals is the only way to eliminate it. Said emphasizes
that working in earlier ages may be accompanied by bad psychological
effects such as feeling unsafe, fear and being scared from the future,
suffering from loneliness and depression because of lack of a
supporting system. The working children are more exposed to suffer
from personality disorder. A child, who suffers from avoidant
personality disorder and anti social personality disorder, may behave in
an aggressive and violent way towards the society.
Interviewing Specialists of the field
►
Waheed Shaban, a journalist at El Wafd Newspaper (Personal Communication),
says that poverty is a main reason behind this problem in Egypt. According to
Shaban, the father may be forced to make his son work in earlier age, between
10 years and 15 years, due to poverty and the bad economic circumstances. He
adds that although the current Egyptian Constitution and all previous ones have
warned and put tough restrictions in front of child labor, yet the problem has
been tremendously aggravated in Egypt. He ensures that the whole society:
government, media, NGOs, and businessmen have a role to face this problem
and solve it. He ends his words by saying that the working child means an
abnormal child; the working child means the society faces a psychological and
behavioral disorder.
►
Maged Habashy, a cinema director (Personal Communication), says that the
cinema has no real role in its exposure to the child labor phenomenon.
According to Habashy, the cinema’s role in that issue is characterized by being
haphazardly unorganized, and this will never form a social awarness. He affirms
that the Egyptian movies, as well as, series have not clarified the problem. He
states that the phenomenon discussion is absent in drama because of the lack of
serious finance and funding by the state, as well as, the absent role of
institutions, which are responsible for these children.
FINDINGS
►
Results show a significant relationship between child labor
phenomenon and living in slums in Egypt. Most of the
interviewees from the children are living in poor areas or
slums such as Karam, who lives in the end of El Wehda St. in
Imbaba, Nour lives in a narrow lane, and Islam lives near his
father's shop.
►
The results also display a significant relationship between the
child labor phenomenon and the educational level of parents.
For example, Karam's parents have no education. While Osta
Magdi who has a secondary education refuses to have his
children with him in the shop, as he prefers that they should
continue their education and focus on their studies.
►
The results have emphasized the significant relationship
between child labor phenomenon and the economic status. All
working children are seeking a source to increase the family's
income due to poverty.
►
However, no significant relationship appears regarding the
fourth hypothesis because the results do not show a
relationship between the phenomenon and separation between
the parents.
FINDINGS
►
According to the research questions, one may have been introduced to the
nature of the child labor phenomenon, its reasons, motives, factors, and
effects through in-depth interviews, as well as, through photography taken
from the field. The study shows the importance of photography to present the
child labor phenomenon.
►
To answer the third research questions, the researcher has investigated
opinions of security, psychological, media, and cinema specialists regarding
child labor problem in Egypt. Security officials agreed upon the misapplication
of laws which do not prevent the child from that destiny, while psychologists
have emphasized on the bad psychological consequences of this phenomenon.
Journalists and cinema makers have criticized the absent role of the state and
emphasized the importance to form a social awareness concerning this
phenomenon. The best way to solve this problem, as being elaborated later in
discussion, will be through applying laws on the ground and protecting children
even from their parents.
Ways to solve the problem
Through the whole study, one has realized that everyone in the society has a role in this problem.
The state has a role by maintaining and applying the established laws concerning child labor in
earlier ages and approving new regulations, on both the legislative and executive levels to protect
those children.
► By prohibiting child labor in earlier ages (before 15 years), and consider it a criminal act that
deserves punishment for whoever perpetuates or participates in it.
►
NGOs should have a better supporting role because their role is very limited. It is significant to
establish charitable institutions and organizations under an actual supervision and true monitoring
from the state. These institutions should be responsible for presenting the support for those
children.
► Awareness campaigns of the threats of the phenomenon, its reasons, and solutions should be
carried out especially through the religious places and the media. They should play an effective
role in attracting people to participate in establishing charitable organizations that support
children.
► Another way to resolve this problem is by giving additional pensions to families with lower
incomes through governmental and non governmental institutions. Activating the role of the
social worker and the policeman in that regard is noteworthy through pursuing those cases and
practice laws on the ground.
► All the society through governmental bodies, charitable institutions, and even individuals should
work together on improving the performance of orphanages and child reform institutions through
a qualitative and a quantitative support. These reform institutions should be a real shelter, not just
like a jail, and provide actual protection for those children even from their parents.
►
RECOMMENDATIONS
►
The call to combat child labor, through the international exerted efforts, is such a
significant thing. Therefore, societies should unite in that process through individuals,
communicators, anthropologists, and all the country's institutions (especially an
executive body like the Egyptian Ministry of Interior in Egypt), for the children have
to enjoy their childhood without any heavy burdens on their shoulders.
►
Anthropologists, sociologists, educators, communicators, journalists, policemen,
individuals, institutions, responsible governmental bodies, and the whole society
should not stand aside from that issue. Ethnographists as well as film makers should
repeatedly present the problem. It is more recommended to produce an ethnographic
film, or a documentary that introduce the problem through moving visual pictures, and
not just depend on these still pictures. It is significant to investigate the role of
Egyptian drama in stereotyping the image of orphanages or reform institutions, and
whether this image is right or wrong in reality. Another factor that should be
investigated which is fleeing from education due to watching the TV or playing games
on computers.
►
It is also recommended that the Egyptian Ministry of Interior should review its role in
that regard with the help and support of anthropologists and other specialized experts
to find the appropriate mechanism to apply law on ground in order for Egypt to reach a
high rank in combating the worst types of child labor by 2016.