Peru's child labour law condemned

The streets of Lima attract children trying to make a few pence

By Claire Marshall in Lima

A new law in Peru has fixed the legal minimum age for child workers at just 12 years old, making it the youngest level in Latin America.

Human rights organisations have condemned the rule, arguing it contravenes international guidelines stipulating that children should not be allowed to work before the age of 15.

It is hard to walk down the streets of most towns in Peru without finding children wanting to clean your shoes or to sell you sweets.

Charlotte and Melissa are aged 9 and 10, and spend almost every day sitting on the roadside in Lima trying to earn a few pence.

UN recommendations

Recent figures say there are more than half-a-million children under the age of 12 working in Peru, and almost two million who are under 18 years old.

The new code governing children's rights published this week has ignored United Nations recommendations to raise the minimum working age to 15.

Disappointed children's rights organisations say the law sends out the wrong message, and fails to protect the hundreds of thousands of impoverished Peruvian children who are forced to go to work.

However, while the regulations are now on the statute books, government spokesperson Patricia Crosby acknowledges that this aspect of the code should be looked at again.

"It's a good code, there are some good laws, but it could be better," she says.

"In this case there are different positions and we respect different points of view and we have to work together to improve our country and improve our children."

Until then, Peru will remain out of line with the rest of Latin America, with every other country banning children from working before they are 14 years old.