It is often believed that God smiles in the form of Children. But today these little gods are forced to work under harmful condition sacrificing their childhood, happiness and innocence. It is common to see “chhotu” in many chai tapri, because his survival lies in it… ironically that chhotu is the eldest child of his family and he has to take care of them..
Many children are working under mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful conditions, that deprives their childhood, and interferes with their schooling by reducing their opportunity to attend school, and such children are forced to leave school at an early stage , or compelled to attend school with excessively long and heavy work. Child labour is harmful to physical and mental development of a child.
REASONS FOR CHILD LABOUR
- As parents of some children don’t have access to decent work, it becomes necessary for children to work.
- Adults take advantage of their vulnerability.
- Sometimes poor families fall into debt which are paid off through child labour.
- Family size, geography, lack of education, rigid social and cultural roles, economic greed and global economics all contribute in child labour.
- Poverty is also a major reason why children need to work in harmful conditions.
STATISTICS
- Worldwide, 152 million children between 5 to 17 yrs.
- Seven in ten child labour are working in agriculture.
- Child labour isn’t limited to poor countries. More than half of affected children live in middle income countries.
- Child labour is more prevalent in countries experiencing conflict and disaster.
- Every third children in child labour are completely outside the education system, and those that do attend perform poorly.
- In India 4.35 million (main workers) and 5.76 million (marginal workers) are found between 5-14 years of age. Hence total number of child workers isb10.11 million.
- The adolescent labourers in India are 22.87 million, bringing the total (in the age group of 5-18 years) to around 33 million.
LITTLE IMPROVEMENT
- Since 2000 Child labour has reduced by 38% from 246 to 152 million children.
- Under the leadership of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi “BACHPAN BACHAO ANDOLAN” has liberated more than 85,000 children in India from exploitation.
Kailash Satyarthi
Mr. Kailash Satyarthi is one amongst the strongest leaders fighting against exploitation of children globally. His continuous efforts to protect every child as his own led to him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. He is continuously working against child labour and for child rights and protection with the same enthusiasm as he believes – “The Nobel Peace Prize is just a comma, not a full stop.”
Till 1986, India did not have any law against child labour. After the struggle of six years this law has been came to an existence but it is not enough to provide every child relief, hence the fight goes on.
In 2001 with 86th Amendment of our Constitution, made education a human right. The new challenge faced by Mr Satyarthi is that, though the children got their right to education, but they don’t know about their rights and it is necessary for them to learn about their own rights.
When someone asked him about source of his motivation he replied, “The dreams I can see in children’s eyes.”
IMPACT OF COVID-19
- Covid-19 has worsened the conditions of child labourers and made some more children vulnerable to child labour.
- With many people losing their jobs due to COVID-19, children are forced to work for their families.
- With businesses and enterprises facing massive financial losses, the demand for cheap labour is increasing, and children are best option for cheap labour for those industries.
- There is a shortage of adult labour, due to reverse migration and Children, especially adolescents, are in demand to fill this gap.
- Children staying at home, especially girls, will have to contribute to household chores and sibling care. Many girls will be pulled further away from education.
- Children who cannot access online education are going away from education because of closure of schools.
- Whenever livelihood crisis originates in India, the risk of trafficking increases. large number of children are already living under the risk of being trafficked for labour in India.
- Due to reverse migration many children have returned to their villages. And because of livelihoods crisis in rural areas, the children who are not tracked are becoming more vulnerable to trafficking.
WAY FORWARD
- Government should take steps towards removing children from different industries, with the help of different NGOs.
- Before banning children in textile Mills etc. government should take care of providing employment to their parents and also make them entitled to good allowance.
- Be an ethical investor, use your voice to ensure that your companies support humane, sustainable, just practices that don’t include child labour.
- Government should take steps towards protection of children. who has been released from child labour must not fall into trafficking.
- Be alert and report abuse – Children forced to work need you to be their voice, be aware of any form of child abuse or exploitation happening around you.
We will be failing as a society till those little hands who have right to hold pen are holding bricks, thermos, bangles and sometimes gunpowder.. it is need of the hour to work together for releasing these children from bias of life.
The fight will continue till every chhotu will start carrying dreams in his eyes and his shoulders will be freed from responsibility but will carry a school bag.
REFFERENCE
- www.ilo.org
- www.unicef.org
- www.satyarthi.org.im
- Wikipedia
Informative