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More than a million children and adolescents work in Honduras, driven by poverty
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

More than a million children and adolescents work in Honduras, driven by poverty

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Over one million children and adolescents in Honduras are forced into labor due to poverty.
  • Child labor hinders their education and compromises their development, with the agricultural sector being the most affected.
  • Experts and human rights organizations are calling for intensified efforts to eradicate this issue, emphasizing the need for state, private sector, and civil society coordination.

Poverty is compelling over a million children and adolescents in Honduras to engage in labor, a situation that severely impedes their education and jeopardizes their overall development. Experts and human rights organizations are urgently calling for a concerted effort to eliminate this pervasive issue.

the poverty is the main driver that pushes minors to the labor market

— Emerson UlloaEmerson Ulloa, national coordinator of the 'Cultivando Futuro' project led by Visión Mundial Honduras, explained the primary cause of child labor in the country.

The agricultural sector accounts for the largest share of child labor, with 36.4% of cases concentrated there, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Other significant sectors include commerce (17.8%), construction (6.2%), and manufacturing (5.8%). Alarmingly, nearly half a million minors are involved in hazardous domestic tasks or work extended hours, while another 207,000 combine risky economic activities with extensive household chores.

Child labor poses substantial risks to the physical and mental well-being of minors, in addition to limiting their educational prospects. The coffee harvesting sector, though a traditional family subsistence activity, presents real dangers due to complex geographical conditions and rugged terrain, making it particularly hazardous for children. Critics acknowledge the problem, attributing it partly to a "lack of quality education" and cultural factors where families are accustomed to involving all members in work.

lack of quality education and cultural factors, as families in the field are accustomed to working with the entire family nucleus

— Miguel PonMiguel Pon, executive president of the Honduran Coffee Exporters Association (Adecafeh), attributed some of the issues in the coffee sector to educational shortcomings and ingrained family work practices.

Organizations like 'Cultivando Futuro' are working to combat child labor by creating "educational bridges" that protect children during coffee harvests, having already eradicated over 500,000 hours of child labor. The National Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras (Conadeh) has labeled child labor a "grave violation" of human rights, depriving children of education, health, rest, and adequate development, while exposing them to physical and psychological risks. Eradicating this problem requires coordinated action from the state, private sector, civil society, and international cooperation.

grave violation of human rights

— Comisionado Nacional de los Derechos Humanos en Honduras (Conadeh)The Honduran National Commissioner for Human Rights described child labor as a severe infringement on children's fundamental rights.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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