Child Workers in Brick Factories: Causes and Consequences

As part of the campaign against the worst forms of child labour for the wellbeing of Cambodian children, LICADHO and WVC have commissioned the research team, led by Dr. Poch Bunnak, to conduct a study on children working in brick factories. The study was conducted in July 2007 to identify the causes and consequences of child labour in brick factories in Battambang and Sang Ke districts, the surrounding areas of Battambang provincial city. Data were collected using interviewer-completed questionnaires from three main sources (132 child workers, 43 parents, and 15 brick factory owners or managers) from 26 brick factories. It is estimated that between 400 and 500 children work daily in these brick factories during the high labour-demand season.