Tony Muhumuza
The study analyses the relationship between access to rural product markets and the extent and nature of child labour. It is built on the view that if physical markets can shape rural development through, for instance, influencing prices, household production decisions and employment, the associated activity growth could increase child labour. Using household survey data from Uganda, I find that children increase time in domestic work when local product markets are distant, while their time in economic activity declines. A similar pattern is observed for the incidence of child labour. The likelihood of child labour in domestic activity increases for each extra hour of travel to the market, while child labour in economic activity declines. This could reflect the possibility that households may switch child work from market-oriented activities to domestic work when they are remotely located from markets. This study contributes to the literature on child labour in two dimensions. First, the findings confirm those of earlier cross-country studies that access to product markets increase the extent of child labour in economic work Second, they demonstrate that the effect of the markets varies, depending on the nature of the work the children are engaged in, and their age.
JEL-Classification: J22;J82;O12
Keywords: child labour, market access, Uganda
DIW-Link
Array