CHILD LABOUR - ENGLISH
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CHILD LABOUR-
•
Whenever
I use or hear these words, I feel guilty as a human being. We pass by so many
children indulging in some work or the other every day. Some of us who want to justify it come up
with statements like “They are only helping their parents in bringing in a
stable income”. But if fact it is a black spot on humanity that we are not able
to provide a secure, healthy happy childhood to these children.
•
Child
Labour is a global phenomenon. It exists both in the developing and the
developed countries though with a difference in cause and magnitude. A majority
of child workforce is in unrecognized sector. Children are working in
agriculture work, shoe polishing, newspaper venders, helpers in shops, helpers
in roadside dhabas and as house hold helpers (servants specially girls). Only a
small proportion of working children are in organized sector.
DEFINITION-
•
Child
labor may be defined as employment of children up to 14 years of age in gainful
occupations at the expanse of their physical, mental, emotional and social
wellbeing. According to international labour organization- The term “child
labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their
childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical
and mental development.
CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR-
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Poverty - it is the main causative
factor for child labour. Every members, mainly female children are victimized by the poverty of the
family. The need to support the family by engaging in work specially as
household servants. Due to poverty families are forced to send children to work
rather than to school. They are made to work to increase the income of their
poor families at the earliest.
•
Lack of Education - It is an another
causative factor for child labour. The worst sufferers are the poor families
for whom getting their children educated
is a dream. Sometimes the lack of
affordable school for the education of poor
children leaves them illiterate and helpless. Children are forced to live without studying. And
sometimes such compulsions push them
into the trap of child labour in India.
•
Lack of awareness - the lack of awareness of their rights among children
have encouraged child labour. Also, uneducated parents do not know about the impact of child labour on
their children. The conditions of
poverty and unemployment give rural families
a compulsive basis for engaging children in various tasks.
•
Social backwardness - Social
backwardness is also a reason for child labour in India. Socially backward
parents do not send their children to
receive an education. Consequently, their children are trapped in child labour. Due to illiteracy,
many times parents are not aware of
various information and schemes for child
education
•
Social problems- Social problems such
as drug addiction, alcoholism also support child labour. In many families, due
to alcohol addiction, drug addiction ,
there is no earning, and the child's
wages are the sole means of family's
sustenance.
•
Natural disasters – after natural
disasters, accidents, disease and disability or death of earning member of the
family may lead to broken families, orphan children or street children. To
survive in such conditions the child may shift to child labour.
•
Greediness of
employers-
In the greed of cheap labour, some
shopkeepers, companies and factory owners employ children so that they have to pay less to
them and it amounts to employing cheap
labour. Shopkeepers and small
businessmen make children work as much as they do to the elder ones but pay half the wages. In the
case of child labour, there is less
chance for theft, greed or
misappropriation of money too
•
Family tradition- In our society it
is very easy to give child labour the name of
tradition or custom in many families. The cultural and traditional family values play their role in
increasing the problem of child labour
in India at the voluntary level. Many
families believe that a good life is not their destiny, and the age-old tradition of labour is the only
source of their earning and livelihood.
•
Discrimination
between boys and girls- In our society it is a bitter truth. Many poor families
believe that girls are weaker and there is
no equal comparison between boys and girls. Considering girls weaker than boys deprives them of school and education. In
labourer families, girls are found to be
engaged in labour along with their
parents.
•
Kidnapping and
begging gangs
– There are some criminals in the society who kidnap children and engage them
as child labour or begging for their earnings. Even small kids are seen in laps
of some begging gangs to lure people to donate. These children may be kidnapped
one.
HEALTH HAZARDS OF CHILD LABOUR-
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Physical health
hazards-
the working children are exposed to adverse environmental conditions, such as dust, smoke, lightening,
radiation, unsafe and unhygienic conditions. These conditions have very
detrimental effect on physical health of the child. Child may develop asthma,
skin problems or even cancer.
•
Drug abuse- drug addiction,
smoking and drinking is common among child labourers as they spend a lot of
time in vicinity of their adult counterparts who may be addicts. This addiction
further deteriorate their physical mental as well as social health. Child may
enter in the world of crime for finding drugs after addiction.
•
Accidents and
injuries-
Incidence of injury while working is much more high among child labourers as
compared to their adult counterparts. The leading cause includes lifting of
heavy objects, cut from broken glass or sharp edges, injury due to falling or
slipping and accidents due to moving parts of a maschine.
•
Communicable diseases- working children
live in unhygienic and crowded places, they have low immunity so are at higher
risk of developing communicable diseases. Main communicable diseases which are
common among child labourers are tuberculosis, hepatitis, skin infections
dirrhoea etc.
•
Sexually transmitted
diseases-
working children are exposed to physical abuse and sexual abuse. Due to sexual
exploitation the may get sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis,
gonorrhea, genital herpes, chlamydia infection or even HIV infection.
•
Malnutrition - working children needs good nutritious diet due to physical
exertion but the get poor nutrients and sometimes less in amount. This leads to
malnutrition which affects normal growth and development of these children.
Child labourers frequently suffer from deficiency diseases.
•
Poor psycho-social
development-
Restricted social interaction, lack of play and recreation, long working hours
etc. have crippling effect on psychosocial development of working children. Due
to this the child may indulge in crimes such as theft, smuggling and even
sexual offennces.
MEASURES TO PROTECT THE CHILD FROM HAZARDS OF
CHILD LABOUR-
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Combined
responsibility-
Due to this complex nature of child labour, there is no one strategy that can
be used to eliminate it. Combating child labour requires long term coordinated
action which involves many stakeholders and the government. This includes
educational institutions, mass media, NGOs and community-based organizations as
well as trade unions and employers.
•
Change
in social attitude- It is important because now a days the attitudes and mindsets of people are
changed they hire children instead of employing adults just for cheap labour.
This attitude should be changed . Society must understand that children are
future of the country and allow all children to go to school and have the
chance to learn, play and socialize.
•
Education reforms- Education is key to
preventing child labour and has been one of the most successful methods to
reduce child workers in India. This includes expanding education access to
schooling, improving the quality and relevance of education, addressing violence
in schools, providing relevant vocational training and using existing systems
to ensure child workers return to school.
•
Spreading awareness- Parental awareness of the evils of child
labor can prevent disruption in schooling and pushing of children into labor.
Lack of understanding on the part of parents creates situations where
traffickers prey upon children and many trafficked children end up in child
labor. Aware communities can comprehend and respond to children’s issues much
more effectively.
•
Legel protection- There are various
laws which protect children from child labour. Such as-
•
a)
The child labour prohibition Act 1986 bans the employment of children below the
age of 14 in many professions, such as domestic labour, and in the hospitality
trade for example in roadside dhabas (restaurants), restaurants, hotels,
motels, and spas.
•
b)
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ratified by India in
1992, all children have the right to be protected from work that is dangerous,
or that might harm children's health or education.
•
c)
The Right to Education Act 2009 ensures all children 6- 14 years have the right
to free and compulsory education.
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