CHILD LABOR FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Child labor is a global problem that involves children and adolescents engaged in work activities below the minimum legal working age established in each country, constituting a violation of fundamental rights and compromising their overall development. Worldwide, it is estimated that 152 million children are in this situation, including 64 million girls and 88 million boys. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in child protection systems globally and highlighted the urgent need for strategies to eradicate child labor. This study aimed to investigate national and international literature on child labor and gender differences in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A scoping review was conducted through a systematic search in four databases: the Virtual Health Library (BVS), Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and PubMed, using the descriptors “child labor,” “early work,” “gender,” and “gender identity,” covering the period from 2020 to 2024. A total of 335 articles were identified, and after the selection process, conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, 18 studies were included in the review. Scientific production was predominantly concentrated in the Asian continent, followed by Africa, the Americas, and Europe. The findings indicate the persistence of a sexual division of child labor, with girls mainly engaged in domestic activities and boys in work performed in public spaces, as well as significant gaps in the literature regarding interseccional approaches that integrate gender, race, ethnicity, and social class, grounded in a critical and human rights–based perspective.