The Elimination Model versus The Protection Model: Analysis of Child Labor Policies in Peru and Bolivia (2014-2026)

<p>This thesis examines the ideological and practical tensions surrounding child labor policies in the Global South, with a specific focus on the comparative legal frameworks of Bolivia and Peru. </p> <p>While international human rights instruments, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions, advocate for a universalist "Elimination Model," this research explores the efficacy of the "Protection Model" or "Protagonist Approach" historically championed in the Andean region.</p> <p>The study utilizes a comparative analysis of Peru’s abolitionist stance and Bolivia’s legislative experiment with Law 548 (2014–2018), which attempted to regulate child labor by lowering the legal working age to ten (10) under specific state oversight. Through case studies of hazardous labor in the mining sectors of Potosí and Madre de Dios, the research evaluates how international pressure -specifically from the ILO and the U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB)- influences domestic sovereignty and child welfare.</p> <p>The findings suggest that rigid legal prohibitions often fail to address the underlying structural drivers of poverty and can inadvertently push child labor into unregulated, more dangerous informal sectors. This thesis argues that the 2018 legislative reversal in Bolivia, while satisfying international donor expectations, may have decreased the visibility and legal protection of child workers. Ultimately, the research proposes a "Holistic Protection" model as a superior alternative to blanket bans. This model integrates universalist safety standards with local economic realities and children’s agency, advocating for a policy framework that prioritizes harm reduction, flexible education, and the active participation of working children in the decisions that shape their lives.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

International Relations

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Castillo, Leslie G.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Mario Baez
• Jean E. Krasno

• Peru
• Bolivia
• Andean Region
• Child Labor
• International Law
• Children Rights Protection
• Agriculture
• Comparative and Foreign Law
• Comparative Politics
• Ethnic Studies
• Global Studies
• International Relations
• Latin American Studies
• Latina/o Studies
• Legal Theory
• Models and Methods
• Native American Studies
• Other International and Area Studies
• Other Legal Studies
• Physical and Environmental Geography
• Political Theory
• Politics and Social Change
• Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies
• Race and Ethnicity

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1311

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:cc_etds_theses-2425