Martindale Center- Policy Briefs on the Future of Work

Child Labor within the Ecuadorian Cities of Guayaquil and Quito 16 16 addressing broader educational development and migration policies, as both are of the utmost importance and have significant impacts on child labor, while leaving the cities to focus on more locally oriented responses. In2019, theUSBureau of International Labor Affairs proposed solutions regarding social service actions that provide us with a blueprint for Quito andGuayaquil.We suggest the creation of a Youth Impulse–type programspecifically focused onhelping children and families learnmore about how they can get legal identification documents so that they can have access to the formal labor sector and the education system inEcuador. The proposed three-month programwould consist of peer-to-peer educational sessions led by previously trained college students and social workers geared towards children and their families. In order to achieve a high rate of attendance and interest, we suggest involving churches, migrant community leaders, and health centers. Through these engagements, fundraising programs can be implemented to help purchase school materials for children. To gauge the efficacy of the program, pre and post surveys will be administered in order to assess program outcomes, including the use and/or applicability of the program in other communities around the country. Conclusion Child labor is a long-standing global concern, one that has influenced the livelihood ofmillions of children, their families, and communities. By recognizing many of the underlying causes of child labor, such as poverty, lack of educational access, anddiscrimination, specific programs such as theYouth Impulse Program, have the opportunity to raise awareness and encourage people to keep children focused on education. Given the significant increases in child labor due toCOVID-19, programs such as this will be critical in mediating some of the current effects of COVID-19 as well as addressing longer- termcauses of child labor inEcuador.We recognize that child labor is important to eradicate to ensure the prosperity of vulnerable migrant children and their families. Child labor deprives children of the opportunity to receive education, strips them of their dignity, and creates a vicious cycle. There must be awareness, understanding, and a desire to change if any actionable solution is to be permanent. References 1. Bureau of International Labor Affairs. Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor – Ecuador. US Department of Labor. 2019. 2. El Universo. Un 8% De Población Infantil Trabaja En Zonas Urbanas De Ecuador. June 2019. 3. International Labour Organization (ILO a). Global Estimates of Child Labour: Results and Trends, 2012– 2016. 2017. 4. International Labour Organization (ILO b). ILO Conventions on Child Labour. 1999. 5. International Labour Organization (ILO c). COVID-19 Impact on Child Labour and Forced Labour: The Response of the IPEC+ Flagship Programme. 2020. 6. International Labour Organization (ILO n.d.). What Is Child Labour. 7. International Labour Organization & United Nations Children’s Fund (ILO&UNICEF). COVID-19 and Child Labour: A Time of Crisis, A Time to Act. 2020. 8. Ministerio de Educación. Covid-19Educational Planwas Presented onMarch 16. Educación.gov. 2020. 9. Morsolin, C. Child Labour, Slavery and Children’s Participation. CETRI. December 2020, 10. Paucar, Elena, &Heredia, Valeria, eds. “Entre 2014 y 2018, El Trabajo Infantil SeDuplicóEnEcuador.” El Comercio , 9 June 2019. 11. UNICEF Data Warehouse, 2021, 12. WorldBank. Challenges andOpportunities of Venezuelan Migration in Ecuador. 2020.