Human Rights from the Bottom - Up

"Amitosh concentrates as he pulls the loops of thread through tiny plastic beads and sequins on the toddler's blouse he is making. Dripping with sweat, his hair is thinly coated in dust. In Hindi his name means 'happiness'. The hand-embroidered garment on which his tiny needle is working bears the distinctive logo of international fashion chain Gap. Amitosh is 10"

Gap has suspended half of its orders with the supplier for the next six months and has placed the factory on probation, demanding "significant improvements to its oversight of subcontractors". It also destroyed all of the garments made by the children to ensure they were not sold in its stores or elsewhere. The retailer vowed to pay the children back-wages, educate them and continue paying them until they are of working age, when it will offer them full employment.
[Observer UK, October 28,2007].

The question then is whether Gap would have taken the above measures if the topic was not given such adverse publicity.

In the Employers’ Initiative for Ratification of the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention (No. 182) it is stated: "Much of the pressure to abolish child labor, particularly its worst forms, has come from the international community rather than from domestic sources - whether this pressure has taken the form of ILO or UN Conventions, media reports or threats of trade sanctions." The Conventions listed some of the following actions which employers can take against Child Labor:
* Secure the rights of children
*Raise awareness of the human cost of child labor and help identify types of work considered to be harmful to the health, safety or moral of children;
*Ensure employers’ collective commitment to the elimination of child labor at national, regional and international meetings;
*Ensure sustainability on employers’ commitment to child labor issues

The Top - Down approach obviously has its shortcomings but is the Bottom - Up approach sufficient. The abolishment of child labor will require commitment at every level. Countries and corporations can institute many policies which look good on paper but without a bottom up approach driven by the international community, it will not be successful.