Qualitative Analysis of 405 Life Stories from Children Working in the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Bangladesh

The CLARISSA (Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia) programme is a five-year, action research consortium generating evidence-informed, innovative solutions by children to avoid hazardous, exploitative labour in Bangladesh and Nepal. This paper is based on a qualitative analysis of 405 life stories collected from child labourers in Bangladesh working in the worst forms of child labour in the leather sector or living in leather sector neighbourhoods. Our analysis of their stories provides a rich picture, from children’s perspectives, of the drivers of child labour, views of child labour, working conditions, and their lives outside of work. The paper also explores the complexity, nuance, and interaction within these themes, drawing on and highlighting the diversity of experience articulated in the stories.