Synopsis The economic exploitation of children has always been a area of concern in the world over. The number of working children is increasing form year to year. Some reasons are economic situation of their family, lack of employment opportunities for the adult member, and the preference of the employers to hire children to save on production costs. Today, a large number of both industrialised and developing countries have adopted child labour legislation that, on the whole is progressive and reasonably close to international standards. This book gives an overview of the nature and extent of the nature and extent of the problem of child labour and the consequences for the victims. It highlights initiatives that are yielding encouraging results in preventing this scourge, as well as in rescuing and rehabilitating bounded children. It suggests ways to expand and accelerate these initiatives by linking them more directly with national programmes and international mechanics specifically designed to combat child labour.