![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/An-Unprecedented-Rise-in-the-Number-of-Child-Labour-in-Iran.jpg\" "\\"An-Unprecedented-Rise-in-the-Number-of-Child-Labour-in-Iran\\"")
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By\u00a0Amir Taghati<\/p>\n
According to a state expert, close to a quarter of Iran\u2019s population are rural residents, and consequently, there is an increasing rate of child labour witnessed as Kolbars (humans used as carriers) and vendors (selling items in the street).<\/p>\n
According to official government reports, there are nearly 2 million child workers in Iran now, and according to \u201cunofficial reports, 7 million\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to a report released by the state-run news ILNA (October 13th, 2018), Hadi Shariati labels child work a \u201cvery significant issue\u201d and describes that the age gaps observed across child labour is continuing to increase just as fast.<\/p>\n
Shariati explains: \u201cthe crisis witnessed across our country\u2019s economy and education has greatly impacted the livelihood of many families, and consequently, has resulted in many children, even under the school age, resorting to things like garbage collecting, panhandling, and vending\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"An-Unprecedented-Rise-in-the-Number-of-Child-Labour-in-Iran-2\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/10\/An-Unprecedented-Rise-in-the-Number-of-Child-Labour-in-Iran-2.jpg\" "\\"An-Unprecedented-Rise-in-the-Number-of-Child-Labour-in-Iran-2\\"")
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Economic Violence<\/p>\n
While warning of the \u201charsh circumstances\u201d revolving Iranian children and the \u201cpainful extent\u201d to which \u201cmany people are being sacrificed\u201d, Shariati states: \u201cthe systematic top-down economic violence in our country, is significantly impacting the lives of more vulnerable families, most of whom are rural residents; this leaves children being the actual victims of economic violence, who are forced to leave education for work, to meet basic needs\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to Shariati, there are around 3000 \u201crural areas\u201d in Iran, in which close to 19 million people are currently residing.<\/p>\n
Given that Iran\u2019s regime joined the children-rights convention in 1993, it is now obliged to sort out its ongoing social issues such as the mentioned child labour.<\/p>\n
Collection of Children<\/p>\n
In its most recent effort to combat child poverty, which was about a year ago, Tehran\u2019s council resorted to collecting children off the streets and penalising their parents. Which was followed with a heavy wave of criticism.<\/p>\n
More than 300 University lecturers, researchers, social workers, lawyers, journalists, and children-rights activists, wrote an open letter in which they condemned the government officials for fighting with the victims, instead of fighting with what the victims were undergoing, i.e., the poverty itself. In this letter, they asked the government to spend more of the national wealth on \u201cimproving the quality of lives, especially of more vulnerable families, and on creating more employment opportunities, as well as providing children with better education and health\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Amir Taghati According to a state expert, close to a quarter of Iran’s population are rural residents, and consequently, there is an increasing rate of child labour witnessed as Kolbars […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":52249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[178],"class_list":{"0":"post-25457","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-society","8":"tag-save"},"yoast_head":"\n