Child labour is used in many developing countries, so why is the situation in Uzbekistan different?
The practice of child labour in the cotton industry in Uzbekistan differs considerably from other developing countries. Child labour in Uzbekistan is not undertaken at the initiative of parents, but orchestrated and mandated by the state, which uses various means of coercion to force children to work in cotton fields. Furthermore, the practice stems from a totalitarian system of governance and economic exploitation which characterizes the Uzbek government.