Timeline
After delving into the harsh realities and struggles faced by child workers in urban spaces, it is also important to discover the efforts made over time to combat this phenomenon. This timeline provides an overview of key milestones, laws, and initiatives aimed at ending child labor. Explore this timeline to see how people’s understanding, support, and laws have changed over time to help child workers and make sure they are seen and treated well.
1836
Massachusetts State Child Labor Law of 1836
Massachusetts creates the first state child labor law requiring factory children under 15 to go to school a minimum of 3 months per year.(Child labor still prevalent in cocoa-producing countries, 2020)
1912
Establishment of the U.S. Children’s Bureau
The U.S. Children’s Bureau is founded with Julia Lathrop as its first head to monitor the situation of children at home and at work. (History, n.d.)
1916
Keating-Owen Act of 1916
Congress passes the Keating-Owen Act, banning the interstate sale of goods produced with child labor in factories, canneries and mines. The Supreme Court declares it unconstitutional two years later. (Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916), 2022)
1938
Fair Labor Standards Act (US)
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum working ages and hours, aiming to protect children from exploitation in the workplace. (Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act, n.d.)
1989
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphasizing the protection and rights of children worldwide. (Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989)
2000
ILO’s IPEC Program
The ILO launches the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) to tackle child labor globally. (International programme on the elimination of child labour (IPEC), 2024)
2015
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations includes the elimination of child labor in its Sustainable Development Goals, targeting its end by 2025. (Sustainable development goals | United Nations development programme, n.d.)
Present
Ongoing Efforts
Ongoing efforts are being made by governments, NGOs, and international organizations to eradicate child labor. (Ending child labour by 2025, 2021)
Thank you for visiting this virtual exhibition on the visibility and invisibility of child workers in urban spaces. I hope that this journey has been an eye opener on the struggles and the complex situations they face. It is important for all of us to start noticing these children and acknowledging their presence and challenges.