Today (June 12th) is World Day against Child Labour (as recognized by the UN), but for most of the child labourers around the world, it’s just another working day while the social activists continued debating on the definition of Child Labour. The definition of child Labour vary from country to country, but generally speaking, Child Labour means any work that harms or exploits the child in some way (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking access to education).
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimation in 2000, around ‘246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labour, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child labour, which include forced and bonded labour, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation’.
The ILO has estimated that 218 million children between the ages of five and seventeen work in developing countries. Of these, 122.3 million children work in the Asia-Pacific region, 49.3 million work in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.7 million work in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In India the Government banned the employment of children below the age of fourteen years in factories, mines and hazardous sector, and regulates the working conditions of children in other employment. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 seeks to achieve its basic objective. But the act does nothing to protect children who perform domestic or unreported labor, which is very common in India. In almost all Indian industries, girls are unrecognized laborers because they are seen as helpers and not workers.
Child labour should definitely be condemned but somehow, there should also be room enough for the child to make his/her own choices. In my opinion, prohibiting people under a certain age limits not only discriminate, but also violates his/her human rights, it reduced the child’s options and leave him/her at the mercy of those with money.
One of the inherent causes of child labour is parental poverty. And more often than not, the child is happy to contribute his/her share at the dinning table. When I was young, every Saturday, my mother would drag me to the paddy field. I hardly was capable of doing anything except fetch water, but looking back now, I am glad she did that. Those few things that I learned at that time were the few things I knew about farming. I am glad that I contributed my share instead of whiling the time away in the village.
I once read about a butch of inspired youths rescuing some child labourer and leave them at the police station, leaving the police totally helpless not knowing what to do with the children. Yesterday, British clothing retailer Primark axed three Indian suppliers for sub-contracting works to child labourer. And last year, fashion house Gaps banned a certain export house because of employing underage worker. Such actions and/or boycott may make senses but also have long-term consequences and actually harm rather than help the children.
For instances, a UNICEF study found that 5,000 to 7,000 Nepalese children turned to prostitution after the United States banned that country's carpet exports in the 1990s. Also, after the US introduced the Child Labour Deterrence Act, an estimated 50,000 children were dismissed from their garment industry jobs in Bangladesh, leaving many to resort to much more dangerous and exploitative job.
Child labour is present universally. But it is mainly rampant in the developing countries because of widespread poverty. The quickest solutions is for the government to enforce the anti-child labour laws along with compulsory education laws together, while making the education system more widespread, affordable and relevant while increasing the income level of the parents enough to compensate the child’s earning potential.
It is the dream of every child to go to a good school and have no work to do, but any thoughtful child is equally happy to contribute his share to the family meagre income, so the government must take the child labourers on-board to construct a solution for the problem. Ensuring that all children go to school and that their education is of good quality are keys to preventing child labour.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimation in 2000, around ‘246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labour, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child labour, which include forced and bonded labour, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation’.
The ILO has estimated that 218 million children between the ages of five and seventeen work in developing countries. Of these, 122.3 million children work in the Asia-Pacific region, 49.3 million work in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.7 million work in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In India the Government banned the employment of children below the age of fourteen years in factories, mines and hazardous sector, and regulates the working conditions of children in other employment. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 seeks to achieve its basic objective. But the act does nothing to protect children who perform domestic or unreported labor, which is very common in India. In almost all Indian industries, girls are unrecognized laborers because they are seen as helpers and not workers.
Child labour should definitely be condemned but somehow, there should also be room enough for the child to make his/her own choices. In my opinion, prohibiting people under a certain age limits not only discriminate, but also violates his/her human rights, it reduced the child’s options and leave him/her at the mercy of those with money.
One of the inherent causes of child labour is parental poverty. And more often than not, the child is happy to contribute his/her share at the dinning table. When I was young, every Saturday, my mother would drag me to the paddy field. I hardly was capable of doing anything except fetch water, but looking back now, I am glad she did that. Those few things that I learned at that time were the few things I knew about farming. I am glad that I contributed my share instead of whiling the time away in the village.
I once read about a butch of inspired youths rescuing some child labourer and leave them at the police station, leaving the police totally helpless not knowing what to do with the children. Yesterday, British clothing retailer Primark axed three Indian suppliers for sub-contracting works to child labourer. And last year, fashion house Gaps banned a certain export house because of employing underage worker. Such actions and/or boycott may make senses but also have long-term consequences and actually harm rather than help the children.
For instances, a UNICEF study found that 5,000 to 7,000 Nepalese children turned to prostitution after the United States banned that country's carpet exports in the 1990s. Also, after the US introduced the Child Labour Deterrence Act, an estimated 50,000 children were dismissed from their garment industry jobs in Bangladesh, leaving many to resort to much more dangerous and exploitative job.
Child labour is present universally. But it is mainly rampant in the developing countries because of widespread poverty. The quickest solutions is for the government to enforce the anti-child labour laws along with compulsory education laws together, while making the education system more widespread, affordable and relevant while increasing the income level of the parents enough to compensate the child’s earning potential.
It is the dream of every child to go to a good school and have no work to do, but any thoughtful child is equally happy to contribute his share to the family meagre income, so the government must take the child labourers on-board to construct a solution for the problem. Ensuring that all children go to school and that their education is of good quality are keys to preventing child labour.
1 comment:
I agree with you that putting an age limit for working without putting in place the social infrastructure to take care of their needs is nothing but discrimination! You can't force a child to go to school everyday and starve at home. If we are going to send them to school, lets take care of their needs. Most of the children who worked know why they work -they may be forced, compelled or threatened, but most importantly they worked because they have to survive.
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