Análisis de género. Niños, niñas y adolescentes trabajadores en las regiones de Cusco, Ica y Ayacucho

Child labor is a social phenomenon that has become one of the great problems of the contemporary world. In Peru, there are 1 659 000 working children, of which 832 000 are under 14 years of age, the minimum age to be able to work according to the laws of the Peruvian State.

As a result of economic globalization and the impoverishment and precariousness of the living conditions of millions of families, children and adolescents from all over the world, in both urban and rural areas, took to the streets to work in various occupations, mostly in the informal economic sector.

Save the Children in Peru implemented a project to ensure that working children and adolescents are protected against all forms of exploitation, and direct actions are taken to reduce risks and improve the quality of their lives.

The explicit project objects were to:

• improve opportunities and working conditions through development of personal and professional skills of working children
• Strengthen protection systems and national legislation to ensure adequate work environments, prevent economic exploitation and ensure educational accreditation of children
• Create appropriate spaces where the voices of children and adolescents can be heard