Central Asia's Working Kids

A boy from Kyrgyzstan at the central market in neighboring Kazakhstan's second city, Almaty, where he says he earns 200 tenges (about $1.20) for every container of goods he moves (RFE/RL) - Although the number of children aged 5-17 engaged in labor is falling, the figure is still well over 200 million. Each year, 22,000 children are killed at work, while 6 million are injured, and 2.5 million are disabled.

Many children are employed at Almaty's central market to sort and carry goods (RFE/RL) - "For child laborers, the psychological scars of what they have endured can stay with them for the rest of their lives," a UN report reads. "Many suffer from anxiety or depression...and can develop low self-esteem and a sense of helplessness."

A 15-year-old works at a body shop in Almaty, making repairs to damaged cars (RFE/RL) - Meeting the UN's Millennium Development Goals -- which include dramatically reducing poverty, combatting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and expanding primary education -- will do much to reduce child labor.

Another 15-year-old fixes a dent in a car in Almaty (RFE/RL) - Many working children are denied access to education. Those who try to continue attending school often fall behind and drop out, the International Labor Organization (ILO) reports.

A youth transports a load of vegetables at a market in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe (RFE/RL) - Low-quality education is also a problem in many regions. "Low-quality schools where children experience discrimination or abuse may not seem any more attractive than a hazardous job with a cruel and demanding boss," the ILO reports.

A girl sweeps sidewalks in Kyrgyzstan (RFE/RL) - Seventy percent of all working children -- some 132 million -- work in agriculture. Agriculture, together with construction and mining, is one of the three most hazardous sectors for workers of any age.

The hours are long and the work arduous carting goods around this Kyrgyz market (RFE/RL) - Child labor in agriculture often goes unnoticed because children are working on family farms or as part of migrant-worker families. In some countries, agriculture-sector workers of all ages are not covered by labor laws.

Young shoe cleaners in the streets of the Afghan capital, Kabul (RFE/RL) - "The most extreme forms of child labor can involve children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses, or left to look after themselves on the streets of large cities," the ILO reports.

A young street vendor in Kabul (RFE/RL) - The International Labor Organization is the UN agency promoting internationally recognized human and labor rights. It manages the world's largest technical assistance program on child-labor issues.