In the bustling neighborhood of Nasr City, nestled within the heart of Cairo, a tire repair workshop hums with activity. Among the workers is Tarek Sobhi, a boy of just twelve years, whose daily routine belies his tender age.
Each day, Tarek grapples with the weighty task of extracting punctured tires from vehicles, his slender arms straining under the load. Despite his small stature, he manages to transport these burdens into the workshop where his older colleagues undertake the repairs. This daily ritual, a stark departure from the carefree play of childhood, is Tarek’s reality.
Tarek’s journey into the workforce began prematurely. His academic struggles became apparent early on leading to his departure from formal education in the third grade. A habitual truant, Tarek found himself more at home in the bustling markets of Azbet El-Haggana, where his mother sold vegetables than in the confines of a classroom.
As a form of discipline, Tarek’s mother introduced him to the world of car mechanics. Although the intention was punitive, Tarek discovered a preference for labor over academia. His initial performance, however, left much to be desired, leading to a series of job changes. From repairing car glass to blacksmithing and selling building materials, Tarek tried his hand at various trades before finally finding his niche in tire repair.
Despite the hardships, Tarek, the third of five children, contributes to his family’s income. His weekly earnings of 700 Egyptian pounds, roughly equivalent to 23 dollars, are supplemented by occasional tips. His monthly income, just over 120 dollars, is modest. After setting aside a small amount for personal expenses, Tarek dutifully hands over the remainder to his mother, a practice mirrored by his brothers. Meanwhile, his sisters assist their mother in her vegetable business.
Almost 5% of children are engaged in labor
Tarek’s story is not an isolated case. According to the latest national estimates from the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS), 1.3 million children, or 4.9% of the child population, are engaged in child labor activities. Alarmingly, about 900,000 of these children are exposed to hazardous work environments.
The 2010 National Child Labour Survey states that 1.8 million children in Egypt (10.5%) are engaged in child labor and 1.6 million children (8.3%) work in dangerous or illicit jobs.
The report further highlights that children in rural areas, particularly in rural Upper Egypt, are twice as likely to be engaged in child labor compared to those in urban areas. There is also a strong correlation between child labor and school attendance, with 10% of children who do not attend school being engaged in child labor activities.
See also: What is child labor and how can we end it?
Education plays a significant role in these statistics. The lowest reported rates of child labor are among children whose parents have had a secondary education or higher. Furthermore, children living in poor families are more likely to be engaged in child labor (10%) compared to those living in less poor and non-poor families.
According to an estimate by the International Labour Organization (ILO) released in November 2017, there were then approximately 2.8 million children in Egypt, aged between 12 and 17 years, working in various fields. A report by the Terre des Hommes Foundation pointed out that about 29.8% of these children work more hours than officially allowed, over 6 hours daily and exceeding 43 hours per week. Furthermore, 13% of these children are frequently exposed to chemicals and pesticides, especially those employed in agriculture.
School dropout rates on the rise, lethal cases among working children
Ahmed Mesilhy, the head of the Child Defense Network, has highlighted the grim reality of child labor in Egypt. He states that child labor is primarily linked to poverty and the deteriorating economic conditions of families. The persisting educational dropout rates underscore the trend of children leaving education to enter the labor market.
Recent data from the Ministry of Education’s Annual Statistical Book (2021/2022) reveals that in primary education from 2019/2020 to 2020/2021, 0.2% of pupils left, with boys at 0.23% and girls at 0.17%. In preparatory education, the dropout rate was 0.87%, with girls at 1.10% and boys at 0.66%. Comparing this to the previous period (2018/2019 to 2019/2020), the primary education rate was 0.25%, and in preparatory education, the rate was 1.73%.
Notably, boys are more prone to drop out of primary school while girls face a higher risk in preparatory school. These trends highlight societal challenges, with economic pressures leading families to engage boys in labor during primary years and resorting to early marriages for girls during preparatory schooling.
Mesilhy criticizes the employment of children in quarries, particularly in the Minya governorate, where they are exposed to the risk of serious injury due to the use of explosives. Several cases of death and amputation have been recorded as a result of these dangerous activities. The dust produced from cutting rocks also leads to fatal respiratory diseases among these children. He also mentions that agriculture is the primary sector where children help their families, often without pay or for a meager wage.
Despite Egypt having a legal and legislative framework aimed at combating child labor and social strategies and programs having been implemented to combat this phenomenon and address its causes, Mesilhy states that all these efforts have been undermined due to weak institutions, exemptions, and legal loopholes.
See also: Child marriage in Africa: facts and statistics
Child labor, as defined by the United Nations and UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, is a grave violation of children’s rights. It is work that imposes a heavy burden on children, endangering their lives and violating international and national laws. This labor deprives children of their education, often forcing them to juggle the dual responsibilities of studying and working. It robs children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and is detrimental to their physical and mental development. The work often involves conditions that cause mental, physical, social, or moral harm to children, and can lead to them leaving school prematurely or attempting to balance school attendance with excessively strenuous work.
