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Until recently the Egyptian population was primarily rural. And the primary activity in which children were involved with was rural farm work. This was the case in ancient Egypt. And unlike most ancient societie. thanks largely to tomb paintings we have many images of ancient life. including agriculture. Egypt continud to be an agricultural society in modern times when the British arrived (late-19th century). Early photographic images of Egypt mostly show children working. Europeans began setting up photographic studios in Egypt (1870s). Thus we have wonderful images of what life was like in Egypt durig the late-19th century. Thus before the Industrial Revolution almost all boys worked. Egypt traded in Nubian (African) slaves. Egypt played a role in Arab African slave trade. And slavery was practiced until the arrival of the British who finally ended the slave trade. Egypt changed substantially in the 20th century. There was a huge shift of population from rural villages to urban areas, especially Cairo which is now one of the earth's major urban centers. Unlike rural areas, there are far fewer work opprtunities for children. And the country since independence has built a modern eucation system which means that most younger children are no longer involved with work. Unfortunaly the economy is not generating needed jobs for the children coming out of schools. Nor are the schools including the universities adeqately preparing youths for the job market, especilly with needed technical skills. And in a country with high unemployment, extrme poverty, and low wages. There is a significant problem with child labor. One press report indicates, "According to Major General Abu Bakr Al-Gendy, head of the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the volume of child labor in Egypt is as high as 1,594,000. Labor includes work at levels classified between light and dangerous. There are 17 million children in Egypt between the ages of 5 and 17. Children between the ages of 15 and 17 make up 46% of the total child labor market, with 4.87% of them giving their earnings to their parents. Al-Gendy noted the percentage of girls in the child labor force reached 21%. 7.42% of child labor is concentrated in Upper Egypt’s countryside, while 8.4% is in Lower Egypt’s countryside. The concentration of working children, ages 12 to 14, increased by 8.3%, with 12 year olds as the smallest concentration at 23%. 120,000 children between the ages of 5-17 age group did not go to school, of which 5.5% were male and 5.49% were female. 487,000 children, 79% of which were male, left school to work. The survey indicates that the agriculture sector accounted for the largest share of child labor, at 62%." ["Child labor"]
Until recently the Egyptian population was primarily rural. And the primary activity in which children were involved with was rural farm work. This was the case in ancient Egypt. Most of the population was a peasant population involved in agriculture. The peasantry worked the land of large and small landowners. he great estates were owned by the airistocracy and the temples. And children from an early age was a part of the agricultural work force. Egypt continud to be an agricultural society in modern times when the British arrived (late-19th century). Before the Industrial Revolution almost all boys worked, except for the smll number of artistocratic boys an wealthy merchants.
Before the advent of modern plumbing, many people made their living by carrying water. This was done by a waterskin, an ancient a receptacle used for holding water. Most were made from a sheep or cow bladder. In an era before rubber, goatskins were impereable and useful way of tranporting water. Waterskins retained water naturally were thus useful in transportung water, even desert crossings. They are still used in some developing countries. No one kinows when they were first used, but some believ that they may date bck 5,000 years. This would be about the time that ancient Egypt had begin to rise. The first actual images cone from ancient Assyrian using bladders as floats (3000 BC). A bas relief from Persepolis shows aribute berer ith aaterskin, probably carrying wine. Pottery was useful in holding water in a stationary location, but it was heavy and not the best way of transporting water, espcilly when it had to be carries by individuals and not moved by donkey or cart. The water would come from the Nile of course without any treatment.
And unlike most ancient societie. Thanks largely to tomb paintings we have many images of ancient life. including agriculture. Early photographic images of Egypt mostly show children working. Europeans began setting up photographic studios in Egypt (1870s). Thus we have wonderful images of what life was like in Egypt durig the late-19th century.
Egypt traded in Nubian (African) slaves. They were not, however, a major part of the ork force. This was not unusual in the ancient world. The landless rural peasantry while not slaves lived and worked in a condition close to slavery, slavery was not necessary for the ruling classes to extract wealth from their land. Greece and Rome were exceptions in the ancuent world. Egypt subsequently played a role in Arab African slave trade. And slavery was practiced until the arrival of the British who finally ended the slave trade.
Egypt changed substantially in the 20th century. There was a huge shift of population from rural villages to urban areas, especially Cairo which is now one of the earth's major urban centers. Unlike rural areas, there are far fewer work opprtunities for children. And the country since independence has built a modern eucation system which means that most younger children are no longer involved with work. Unfortunaly the economy is not generating needed jobs for the children coming out of schools. Nor are the schools including the universities adeqately preparing youths for the job market, especilly with needed technical skills. And in a country with high unemployment, extrme poverty, and low wages. There is a significant problem with child labor. One press report indicates, "According to Major General Abu Bakr Al-Gendy, head of the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the volume of child labor in Egypt is as high as 1,594,000. Labor includes work at levels classified between light and dangerous. There are 17 million children in Egypt between the ages of 5 and 17. Children between the ages of 15 and 17 make up 46% of the total child labor market, with 4.87% of them giving their earnings to their parents. Al-Gendy noted the percentage of girls in the child labor force reached 21%. 7.42% of child labor is concentrated in Upper Egypt’s countryside, while 8.4% is in Lower Egypt’s countryside. The concentration of working children, ages 12 to 14, increased by 8.3%, with 12 year olds as the smallest concentration at 23%. 120,000 children between the ages of 5-17 age group did not go to school, of which 5.5% were male and 5.49% were female. 487,000 children, 79% of which were male, left school to work. The survey indicates that the agriculture sector accounted for the largest share of child labor, at 62%." ["Child labor"]
"Child labor in Egypt on the rise," بالعربيه Al Bawaba Business (July 18, 2011).
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