Child Labor Improvements in Bangladesh (CLIMB) Project

Economic realities mean that child labor is widely accepted and very common in Bangladesh. The dried fish sector in Cox’s Bazar and surrounding coastal areas is plagued by some of the worst forms of child labor. Children work for up to 13 hours in the sun, using knives, wearing no protective gear, and climbing on unstable drying racks. Often, these children do not go to school and they develop skin and respiratory problems from the hazardous chemicals and smoke they’re exposed to while working. The CLIMB project aims to increase available information on and awareness of child labor in the dried fish sector; improve the capacity of civil society to understand and address the causes and needs of victims; and promote acceptable work conditions in the sector in southeast Bangladesh.