Will blockchain be the catalyst of prohibiting child labor world wide?

How blockchain might be the solution to child labour

Unfortunately, child labor is still existing in the world we are living in. The International Labour Organization has published that worldwide 218 million children between 5 and 17 years are in employment. 152 million of those are victims of child labour; almost half of them, 73 million, work in dangerous child labour. Most of the child labour takes place in the agricultural sector, which is 73%. 12% takes place in the industrial sector.

The relatively low wages paid to children are often a reason why employers prefer them to adult workers. Some children work unpaid, particularly as domestic workers, in conditions that would be termed as “slavery” if they involved adults. Employers find children more obedient and easier to control. Unlike older workers, they are unlikely to initiate protests or form trade unions.
Not attending school is a cause and an effect of child labour. In many countries education is not free and parents still pay a fee for their children to attend primary school, as well as buying books and providing a school uniform. For a poor family this can be a lot of money, alongside the lack of income for the household while a child is at school.

The employers which have children employed, blame the end-consumers. They blame the end-consumer for not willing to pay more for the product. Therefor the employer is not able to provide better working conditions and wages.

With the upcoming interest of using blockchain as a supply chain solution, the end-consumer will have a better look into the supply chain of the products. This increase in awareness, about the origin of the products, will show end-consumers that they are indirectly stimulating child labor. Clothing brands can then differentiate and show their products have a fully sustainable supply chain. This will stimulate their competitors to follow by example.

Currently a group is working on creating a blockchain to remove child labor from the mining industry. This project is called “the blockchain for raw materials”

For example, the increase in visibility has created a growth of awareness about the meat industry.
There is a growth in vegetarianism, because people have a better realization of what unethical processes happen in the meat industry.

Blockchain technology is breaking borders and makes distances less distant. Will blockchain be the solution towards prohibiting child labour?