Etude comparative des conditions de travail des enfants issus des ménages agricoles au Burkina Faso, en Cote d’Ivoire et au Mali

BASED ON A SERIES OF SURVEYS ON THE LIVING AND MIGRATION CONDITIONS OF CHILDREN, THIS STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE MAGNITUDE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILD LABOUR IN BURKINA FASO, CÔTE D'IVOIRE AND MALI. FOUR (04) MAJOR LESSONS WERE LEARNT : (I) THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF CHILDREN WORKING IN VIOLATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL NORMS AS ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO) ; (II) THE LEVEL OF POVERTY INFLUENCES CHILD LABOUR ONLY IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE. THE DIRECTION OF THIS INFLUENCE CONFIRMS THE LUXURY AXIOM SINCE POOR HOUSEHOLDS RELATIVELY SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO WORK ; (III) WHATEVER THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION OF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD, EARLY ENTRY OF CHILDREN INTO THE LABOUR MARKET APPEARS TO REMAIN A STABLE DEAL IMPACTED BY OTHER FACTORS. IN ADDITION, SCHOOL DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE DISCRIMINATING CHILD LABOUR, AS MOST WORKING CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL ; (IV) FINALLY, THERE IS INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN THE DECISIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES STUDIED.