Child Labor in Malawi

For my Politics of Human Rights class, I have to write a 10-page research paper. Here is the my topic and the inspiration:

BBC News In Pictures: Malawi Child Workers

"Child tobacco pickers in Malawi are being regularly exposed to extremely high levels of nicotine poisoning, according to a new report by children's organisation Plan International.

Images from Plan International

The report claims that child labourers, some as young as five years old, are suffering severe symptoms from absorbing up to 54 milligrams a day of nicotine through their skin- equivalent to smoking about 50 cigarettes.

It is estimated that more than 78,000 children work on tobacco estates across Malawi, some working 12 hours a day, many for less than 1p (1.7 US cents) an hour and without protective clothing.

Children have reported common symptoms of Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS), or nicotine poisoning, including sever headaches, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, coughing and breathlessness.

Plan is now calling upon the Malawi government to enforce existing child labour laws, plantations to provide safer, fairer working conditions and multi-national tobacco companies to scrutinise suppliers far more closely.

British American Tobacco, one of the major buyers of Malawi's tobacco, says it shares many of Plan's concerns and stresses it does not use child labour in its operations."

BBC News, August 24, 2009

Another organization to investigate: Plan International