CAMBODIA

It is estimated that forty percent of Cambodia’s 13 million people are living in poverty.
In 2001, 44.8% of all children - approximately 1,500,000 children - aged 5 - 14 were working. In Phnom Penh alone, it is estimated (2003) that 27,950 children were working as domestic workers.

Recently, the Cambodian government has been active to improve the conditions of children by ending the worst forms of child labor, by committing to increase school enrollment, and by adopting numerous international conventions relating to child’s rights. But such high rates of poverty make it extremely difficult to end the child labor cycle. Also, problems like trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children continue to plague the country in its uphill battle to protect its children.

VIETNAM

In the 1990’s, child labor in Vietnam reduced drastically due to a rise in living standards from rapid economic growth and new child protection legislation by the government. Vietnam was the second country in the world to sign the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

A down side to this development has been the country’s massive rural to urban migration. Vietnam’s urban population is expected to increase 30-33% by 2010. Rural to urban migrants usually lack the necessary knowledge and skills to work in cities. Children of migrant families are at higher risk of working in the streets and of being exploited. The number of children involved in domestic work and in the commercial sex industry is very difficult to assess, but they are reportedly on the rise.

A 1995 study (last one taken) estimated there were 50,000 street children in Vietnam, of which 17,000 were in Ho Chi Minh City. A 2001 survey of street children in HCMC showed that 40% live with their families and 73.5% are under 16 years old.

** In the cities, I found several organizations helping street children. In rural areas, there were reports of child labor still in sectors such as mining and quarrying; however, I was not given access to these areas.