Childhood Free from Child Labor (A Social Work Perspective)

Abstract

Child labor remains a significant problem in Latin America, particularly in Ecuador, where the prevalence of child labor has fluctuated in recent years, negatively impacting children's overall development. This document conducts a comprehensive analysis of recent scientific and regulatory literature (2018–2025) related to child labor from a social work perspective, with a particular focus on the situation in Ecuador and the role of the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES). The document examines the definitions, categories, root causes, and effects of child labor, as well as models and approaches to social intervention aimed at eliminating it. The analysis indicates that child labor is closely linked to socioeconomic factors such as poverty, inequality, and social vulnerability, which particularly impact children's education and health. It emphasizes that a rights-based perspective is essential for social work, which must coordinate actions across different sectors, emphasizing education as the primary solution to child labor. In Ecuador, despite advances in regulations and inter-institutional strategies promoted by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MIES) and other organizations, there are still gaps in implementation and coverage, particularly in rural areas and indigenous communities. Social work is identified as playing a key role in preventing and eliminating child labor through comprehensive interventions that integrate public policies, community awareness, educational improvement, and social protection, helping to ensure the full exercise of children's rights and break cycles of poverty and exclusion that are passed down from generation to generation.