Gamini Herath is Associate Professor in Economics at Deakin University, Australia. Kishor Sharma is Associate Professor at the School of Management, Charles Sturt University, Australia.

'Millions of children are forced to work in often poor conditions in developing countries, particularly in South Asia.They miss school and are denied a decent future. In Child Labour in South Asia Herath and Sharma provide valuable insights into relevant economic theories, reasons for child labour, its trade impacts and other consequences. Their insights are backed up by authoritative chapters by other contributors. Child Labour in South Asia makes an important integrated contribution to development studies and fills a literature gap. It will be of interest to all involved in development studies and will be essential reading for those particularly concerned about social and economic issues involving the employment of child labour.' Clem Tisdell, University of Queensland, Australia 'This volume provides a comprehensive description and a solid analytical treatment of child labour issues in South Asia, examining the links between child labour, poverty, education, gender, and economic growth. It is an important contribution to both the theoretical and empirical literature on child labour in developing countries. It can be strongly recommended to researchers, development practitioners, as well as policy makers interested in child welfare and economic development.' Sisira Jayasuriya, University of Melbourne, Australia 'This edited volume offers detailed accounts of child labor issues in South Asia, examining the linkages among child labor, poverty, education, gender and economic growth. The careful documentation of the experiences of South Asian developing countries will be of interest to those interested in development studies, and an important contribution for those concerned about social and economic issues involving child labor in South Asia.' The Journal of Comparative Asian Development

• Part 1 Theoretical and Empirical Debates on Child Labour; Chapter 1 Labour and Economic Development: Emerging Issues in Developing Asia, Gamini Herath, Kishor Sharma; Chapter 2 Child Labour in Developing Countries: Review of Theoretical and Empirical Issues, Gamini Herath; Chapter 3 Cumulative Causation as Explanation and Policy Base for Child Labour, Geoff Bamberry; Chapter 4 Child Labour: An Integrated Approach, Manohar Pawar; Chapter 5 Trade, Growth and Child Labour Practices in South Asia, Kishor Sharma; Part 2 Lessons from South Asia; Chapter 6 An Assessment of Child Labour Laws, Prevention Strategies and their Effectiveness in Bangladesh, Jesmul Hasan; Chapter 7 An Overview of Child Labour in India, Subhashini Subbaraman, Harald von Witzke; Chapter 8 Child Labour in India: A Critical Evaluation of Four Issues, Anna Pinto; Chapter 9 Strategies for the Prevention of Child Labour: An Overview of Strategy and Effectiveness in Nepal, Chiranjibi Nepal; Chapter 10 Strategies for the Prevention of Child Labour: An Overview of Strategy and Effectiveness in Pakistan, Shafqat Munir, Hassan Mangi; Chapter 11 Issues Relating to Prevention of Child Labour in Sri Lanka, Nisha Arunatilake, Roshani de Silva;