Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2021

Keywords

Child labour; Bangladesh; The Belt and Road Initiative; Triple bottom line model; Apparel supplier

Abstract

There are increasing problems of child labour in Asia, specifically in the developing countries. As such, this research work focuses on the exploitation of child labour in Bangladesh, which is not only the largest apparel supplier across the globe, but also the target of numerous reports of child labour exploitation. Many companies outsource their manufacturing to developing countries as the costs of production, labour and land are considerably lower. However, they also neglect the ethical issues in the developing countries and the social issues are downplayed for profit gains. As such, manufacturers may take advantage of the vulnerability of the developing countries by employing their children and paying insufficient wages for their hard work. Most of these children are much younger than the local stipulated legal age of employment. Hence, this research work aims to help provide realistic measures to prevent the exploitation of children and promote the overall welfare of society as well as facilitate sustainable prosperity. The objective of this study is to present a systematic analysis of the literature that documents child labour. The individual measures taken by the different stakeholders might not be adequate enough for a holistic solution to prevent and mitigate child labour. It is also important to take into consideration the viewpoint of the different companies, workers and the Bangladesh government. Therefore, the tripartite theory and Triple Bottom Line model are applied in this research work. This study discusses the issue of child labour with educators and fashion industry experts to obtain their insights and misconceptions. Moreover, the study focuses on providing different perspectives from the education and the industry sectors to better understand their views on child labour which will contribute to a comprehensive analysis of the problem and more robust findings. As many developing countries rely on foreign direct investment (FDI) to expand their market overseas and attract new investment to further develop their economy, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the growing opportunities may only serve to increase the likelihood of child exploitation. Therefore, companies need to understand their role in corporate social responsibility (CSR) as this involves their business reputation and meets the current demands of the community. A social dialogue among the different stakeholders in the community can be conducive and key to preventing child labour.

Source Publication

International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change

Volume Number

15

Issue Number

6

Download

Share

COinS