The Darker Side of Chocolate: The Bittersweet Reality of Child Labour in Chocolate Production

Introduction In an increasingly interconnected global economy, the safeguarding of children’s rights has emerged as a critical concern, particularly regarding the operations of multinational corporations (MNCs) across diverse jurisdictions. Child…

The Differential Impact of Child Labour on Boys and Girls in Africa

Introduction Child labour is a pervasive issue in Africa, affecting millions of children across the continent.[1] While both boys and girls are subjected to the rigors of child labour, the…

Should we let children work? Reflections from the field

While preparing for my fieldwork on climate change-induced child labour in Malawi, my preliminary research participants revealed that there is no literal translation of the phrase “child labour” in Chichewa,…

Child Labour – Where is Africa Missing It?

Do you ever buy fruits, vegetables, or other foodstuffs from children at your car or bus window or by the roadside on your way to work or school? Are you…

Blind hopes for children’s participation in climate change

The 2021/2022 rainy season in Malawi will among other things be remembered by the devastating images of houses submerged in water, flooded rivers, and roads that have been cut off.…

Debate series: “When the law is not enough: Tackling intractable problems of human rights – prospects for integrated approaches”

Dear Colleagues, The Chair of African Legal Studies at the University of Bayreuth in cooperation with Rhodes University would like to invite you to our debates series on intractable problems…

Child Trafficking in West Africa and the Question of Justice: How life under unjust structures weakens efforts to end human-trafficking

ANALYSIS Mitterand M. Okorie, PhD 22 July 2022 A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) paints a disturbing picture of human trafficking in West…

As you light another cigarette

COMMENT Gift Gawanani Mauluka 15 June 2022 Malawi’s 2021 tobacco sales have generated a cumulative earning of over USD 197 million, representing a 13 per cent increase from the proceeds…

Human Rights are Inherent to Every Human, or are They?

ANALYSIS Gift Gawanani Mauluka 28 January 2022 Climate change has many impacts on children’s rights. In many cases of extreme vulnerability, such as situations of child labour, those impacts are…

Entrenching the CRC’s ‘environmental rights’

COMMENT Prof. Dr. Thoko Kaime 30 June 2021 The CRC does not explicitly guarantee children a right to an ecologically healthy environment. However, within its environment-related children’s rights lies the…