- 1. Overview
- 2. Etymology
- 3. Cultural Impact
The Child Labor Deterrence Act was a legislative proposal championed by Senator Tom Harkin , a Democrat representing Iowa . It was first introduced into the United States Congress in 1992, with subsequent iterations appearing in the legislative sessions of 1993, 1995, 1997, and 1999. The core objective, as articulated on Harkin’s official website, was to “prohibit the importation of products that have been produced by child labor , and included civil and criminal penalties for violators.”
About
The final version of this proposed legislation, known as the “Child Labor Deterrence Act of 1999,” carried the bill number S. 1551 within the U.S. Senate. Harkin, as the principal sponsor, advocated for a law that would effectively ban the importation into the United States of manufactured and mined goods produced by children under the age of 15. The initial draft of Senate Bill 706, introduced in 1995, explicitly stated its purpose: “to prohibit the importation of goods produced abroad with child labor and for other purposes.” This iteration also stipulated civil and criminal penalties for any individual or business found in violation of the act.
Harkin’s initial proposition in 1992 is widely credited with prompting tangible responses from the U.S. Congress concerning the pervasive global issue of child labor . Senator Harkin has been actively involved in numerous other initiatives aimed at combating child labor and addressing anti-sweatshop conditions. He noted his success in amending the Trade Act of 2000 to specifically include goods produced through forced or indentured child labor. Although the original bill did not achieve passage in Congress in 1999, Harkin publicly committed in 2006 to reintroducing the legislation.
Bangladesh
The situation in Bangladesh offers a stark illustration of the potential impact of such legislation. In 1990, millions of children were engaged in wage labor, with the overwhelming majority employed within the ready-made garment (RMG) sector. According to estimates from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Labor Force Survey, approximately 5.7 million children between the ages of 10 and 14 in Bangladesh were involved in child labour . Some analyses suggested this figure could have been as high as 15 million.
In 1993, a significant development occurred when employers in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry dismissed around 50,000 children, representing roughly 75 percent of the child workforce in the textile sector. This action was a direct response to the perceived threat of economic repercussions stemming from the impending passage of the Child Labor Deterrence Act, often referred to as the “Harkin Bill.” The proposed act, which sought to ban “importation to the United States of products which are manufactured or mined in whole or in part by children,” would have jeopardized lucrative American contracts. The consequences for Bangladesh’s economy would have been substantial, given that the export-oriented ready-made garment industry constituted the largest share of the country’s exports.
Following these dismissals, UNICEF dispatched a team of investigators to Bangladesh to ascertain the fate of the children who had lost their factory jobs. The findings, detailed in UNICEF’s 1997 State of the World’s Children report, revealed a grim reality. The majority of these children found themselves in far more dire circumstances, engaged in arduous and dangerous tasks such as crushing stones, scavenging through refuse dumps, and begging on the streets. Tragically, many of the young girls were subsequently driven into prostitution.