ABSTRACT
Child labor, particularly in the agricultural sector, has a long and even controversial history in the region. Many children work at tasks that enhance their skills and self-esteem, while others are employed in hazardous jobs that compromise their health and well-being and keep them from going to school. The transition has increased the number of children at risk of being exploited in the job market. With so many adults now unemployed and family resources strained, sending children to work is often viewed as an economic necessity. Some children toil in shops. Others wash cars. Still others turn to theft and prostitution. Legal or illegal, working long hours tends to keep children out of school. Meanwhile, laws restricting child labor are poorly enforced.
