SAY NO TO CHILD LABOR

World day against child labor is celebrated on June 12th every year. But what is the use of celebrating and dedicating a day without being able to eradicate it completely?? A common site in any mall would be a couple shopping happily while their little one is looked after and carried by another child who would be hardly a few years older than the little one. We see young boys as cleaners in hotels and in garage. A small girl selling flowers on the road side…the list is endless.
This article is just to throw some light on the issue.
What is child labor?
Any child below 14yrs of age if employed on regular basis as a sustained force, it is called child labor. The stipulated age varies from country to country. According to Indian constitution, a child below 14yrs is not employable.
Industrial division for child labor:
Children as employed as child laborers in any of the following 9 industrial divisions:

1.Cultivation
2.Agriculture and livestock
3.Forestry, Fishing and Plantation
4.Mining and Quarrying
5.Manufacturing, Processing, Servicing and repair
6.Construction
7.Trade and Commerce
8.Transport, storage and communication
9.Others

Labor Rights:

Child labor as a human rights issue started after Industrial Revolution as it led to increased awareness about rights and working conditions. First general laws against child labor the “Factory Acts” were passed in Britain in the first half of the 19th century. According to these laws, children younger than 9yrs were not allowed to work and the work day of youth under the age of 18yrs was limited to 12 hrs. Later there were labor laws that were formulated which aimed at respecting and protection of human life in workplace and the right to work. It includes rights to job, collective bargaining and equal pay.

Child labor in India:

India accounts for the 2nd largest number where child labor is concerned followed by South Africa. Human Rights Watch (1996) reported that 60-115 million children are employed as child laborers. Children here work for 8hrs in a day with a small lunch break. The meals that are provided are not nutritious. Many children are migrants from different parts of the country, so they sleep in the working place. So throughout the day, they are in the same environment!!! In spite of laws and Constitution why is it that child labor exists in India?

In India, 75% of the population live in rural areas and borders the poverty line. Such families tend to see children as a source of income generation. They force children to some labor force as they need money to support others in the family. It is profitable for an employer to have children as labor force as they are cheaper. So, poverty is the main cause of child labor here. No law will help unless the needs of the poor are fulfilled. This has lead to a vicious cycle. Since they are poor, they send children for work. This means there is no education to the child. Lack of education leads to unemployment. Unemployment leads to poverty and poverty leads child labor. Some major factors that contribute to child labor in India are poverty, over population, lack of education and exposure and adult unemployment.

Work related risks for children:

Working conditions that are safe for adults may not be safe for children because :

Children have high chemical absorption rates.
Children have low heat tolerance
Children have skeletal growth
Children are in the process of tissue development.

In Indian conditions, poverty adds on to the health hazards. Malnutrition, fatigue and anemia increase risks for a child which can lead to permanent disability or premature death.

Facts about child labor:

During Industrial Revolution children as young as 4yrs were employed in production factories.
61% of child labor is estimated in Asia alone.
In 1997, research showed that the number of child laborers in silk weaving industry in Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu, India) exceeded 40,000!!!
Recent ILO reports 80% of child labor in India are employed in agricultural sector.
1 in 7 children is in child labor of some kind across the globe!!
220 million children between the ages of 5-17 are engaged in child labor.
Every year more than 1 million children get pushed into sex trade!!
8.4 million Children are estimated to work under horrific conditions like bondage, prostitution, pornography, armed conflict or other illicit activities!!!!
Girl children from rural Nepal who enter into carpet factory are later sold to sex trade in the borders!!!!
60,000 children are employed in glass and bangle industry under extreme conditions of excessive heat!!!!
4, 20,000 children are employed in carpet industry.


Let’s all join together and eradicate this social evil…....every child is equal….let’s make world a better place for all the little angels!!