A new report by Save the Children Fund in Fiji has blamed poverty for forcing children into child labour.
The report says children are exposed to exploitation because child labour is a source of income for many poor families.
The Fiji Times quotes the Fund's manager, Irshad Ali, as saying that children do extremely hazardous work in harmful conditions, putting their health, education, personal and social development and even their lives at risk.
Mr Ali says their investigations reveal children face full time work at a very early age, dangerous work places, and are subjected to psychological, verbal, physical and sexual abuse.
He says the children are unable to escape from the poverty cycle because of a lack of education.
Most children work because their families are poor and their labour is necessary for their survival.
The Save the Children Fund report says compared with adults, children are cheaper to hire and are less likely to demand higher wages or better working conditions.
It says school is not an option and as education is expensive, some parents feels that what their children will learn is irrelevant to the realities of their life.
