Gender, education and child labour: A sociological perspective

Abstract

n all societies, boys and girls are assigned different societal roles and experience different perspectives of life as a result of their being male or female. Such differences have a gigantic impact on their lives. The importance of gender perspective is very important in understanding the convolution of child labour. Gender, as opposed to sex, refers to the social differences and relations between boys and girls that are cultured and vary widely within and between cultures and change over time. While education in itself is clearly significant for the development of an individual and for the well being of the society, it may be less noticeable why education is important in the context of child labour. How are the two linked? Does child labour have an impact on children’s school attendance? Can education play a role in combating child labour? If so, how can it be improved? These questions are dealt with in this paper. Key words: Gender, education, rights, exploitation, child, school, work, labour.