Child labor has been prohibited by law since the Constitutional Amendment of 1998, which prohibited hazardous work for minors under 18 years of age. Before that, it was super common for minors to occupy work positions, both in urban areas and in the countryside. See some examples of this sad reality.
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Child labor in cities
With the "boom" of population growth in cities due to factories, children also became part of the staff.
- Factories
The truth is that the working conditions were extremely unhealthy and the payments were meager in the old days. As there were more people looking for work than job offers, people ended up accepting any type of job. Children, then, were a great investment for factories, as they did the most dangerous jobs for much less than adults. Two types of factories that used a lot of child labor were cotton factories and canneries.
- Prostitution
Another major problem that, unfortunately, is common even today is child prostitution. Although the majority of victims of this cruelty are girls, there is a large database confirming that boys of various ages have been exploited.
- shoeshine
Even today it is possible to see small children working in the centers of big cities as shoe shiners. As this function is generally not regularized, it is difficult for the police to investigate cases of child labor in this area.
Child labor in rural areas
Even with the growth of cities, children continued to occupy roles in rural areas.
- farms
In fact, many children still carry out certain activities in the fields as a way of helping their families grow and harvest products. However, in the past, they were hired by large farmers for the most diverse jobs, such as picking weeds, for example.
- Mining
Mining was one of the areas that most exploited child labor, as children managed to get into tight places in the mines. In addition, they were also used to pull heavy materials, such as coal wagons.