Child Labour in India: Causes, Challenges and Legislations to combat the malaise.
Abstract: Child labour continues to be a problem even today in many parts of the world. These children are mostly inhabitants of poor undeveloped nations of South America, Africa and Asia. They live in harsh conditions with almost no access to education. The income earned by them, however minimal, is necessary to feed and clothe their families who are dependent on them. The families have no other option but to push their children to work in various informal industrial and agricultural sectors in order to make ends meet. They are simply not aware of the harm this does to their young children nor is there an orientation to send these children to school instead. The Government of India has taken a lot of legal initiatives in order to address this serious issue of child labour. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been proactively involved in the eradication of this malaise plaguing Indian society. India is also a participant in the United Nation’s International Program on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) under the aegis of ILO. The present paper will look at the various causes which lead to child labour, the international and national legislations that are in place to eliminate this glaring menace and the steps which must be taken in order to abolish child labour in the country.
Keywords: Child labour, international and national laws, socio-economic issues, sectors employing child
Child labor was very common and popular especially in the late 1800s and early the 1900s even though many people were not aware of the dangers. We can define child labor as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and cause to their physical and mental development. Children are the base of a country but in a developing country child labor is an issue that has yet to disappear. Most of the children remain illiterate because of their poor economic condition and parents do not have enough money to spend on the education of their children, rather they send their children for work so that they could earn some money during their poor economic condition. The objective of my research paper is to raise awareness
Little children can be efficient at many unskilled and semi-skilled tasks, and these children of the lower castes are actually meant to work rather than attend school. Another argument is that it is naive for Western societies to apply their standards to other countries and cultures. It is argued that Western societies need to respect the local cultures and customs of different nation. Finally, ending child labor is not a guarantee that the well being of the child will be improved. Many of these children need to work to sustain life, and if they can not work in the formal or legal sectors of the economy, they will find jobs in the informal sector. It may force children from productive jobs into prostitution and dangerous life on the street.
“The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are working, mostly in the developing world.” Many Americans view child labor as wrong or dangerous, but they do not realize how essential child labor can be in developing countries. In the article “Regulated Child Labor Is Necessary in Developing Countries,” by John Tierney, a current author for the New York Times, focuses on child labor and why it is essential in some developing countries. Tierney creates a sympathetic tone for the readers to try and understand the struggles regarding child labor in developing countries.
Child labor is a sigsignificant problem in developing. Countries across the globe(Dilascia,tracey m).one of the most oftern -cited examples of child labor abuse occurs in manufacturing industries(Dilacia, tracey m).one of the most frequently proposed solutions to the child labor problem is the imposition of economic(Dilacia tracey m ). Many international organizations as well a number of European counties oppose placing on countries that permit child labor( Dilacia tracey m).ultimately ,the problem of child labor will not truly be solved until the poverty( Dilacia tracey m).It is estimated that a staggering million child across the world are exploited child laborers(zoltan, melania barto ).while the u.s. often speaks against child labor and has federal and state laws punishing those who illegally exploited children in this country(zoltan, melania barton). In order to prevent child labor,the u.s. must impose economic santions on countries that continue to exploit children(zoltan ,melanina barton).For instance ,the worst forms of child labor convention 182, enacted in 1999 , was designed to prohibit the worst forms of child labor.( zoltan.
Child labor is very demanding throughout many countries around the world, especially those were the economic status is not doing so well at the time. As in the United States there are some very strict laws and guidelines that the employers has to follow or they will get fined. The fines that the company may get are not cheap and increase each time they violate the law. As in fines, if the employers violates these laws that are put into place to protect children then can either get fined or even imprisonment if the Justice Department sees fit to do so. These laws and guidelines will help the individual child themselves, the economy and society down the road later on. In this paper we will see what child labor is, some laws that protect the
Child Labor around the world has impacted the way we live even in the new century were technologies has evolved along with civilization. Many developing countries support Child Labor the decrease poverty line and keep their economy stable. Child Labor is also encouraged by many poor citizens believing that it is a way they could support themselves and their families. Worldwide about 217 million children work full time, countries like India there is about 33 million child laborer between the ages 5-18 (Perspective | Child Labor: The Inconvenient Truth behind India's Growth Story). Through the history of Child Labor in the United States, developing countries can take examples and solutions to reduce the percentage of child laborer working in their countries. As Child Labor rate decreases, many students get to obtain the necessary education and pressure a career of their choice. Malala Yousafzai, a female education activist and
The recent report of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions shows that as many as 60 million children working in India are in agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors. An insight can be drawn from the report that India's booming economy is taking advantage
The problem of child labour continues to pose a challenge before the nation. Government has been taking various pro-active measures to tackle this problem. However, considering the magnitude and extent of the problem and that it is essentially a socio-economic problem inextricably linked to poverty and illiteracy, it requires concerted efforts from all society to make a dent in the problem.
Have you ever wondered if there is anyone who wants child labor to be stopped? Well there is, Iqbal masih, a boy who lived in pakistan, was one of the two most famous child labor activists. There also is craig kielburger, an adult who is constantly traveling the globe to free kids from child labor. Both of these kids are against child work and in this chapter you will learn more about the activists and what they do to stop child
It’s tragic to think that in this day and age, child labor still exists. Poverty and lack of schools are considered to be the main cause of child labor. An estimated 168 million children aged 5 to 14 are forced to work, in developing countries,
There are children who have to join the labour force to satisfy the demand for cheap and unskilled labour. The children also have the certain physical attributes that factories are looking for, these include small in stature and they are agile. Children are also joining because of the low adult wages their parents are earning. Poverty is an important push factor leading to the supply for child labourers. In the majority of the cases adult workers are earning very little and their wages are not meeting their family’s income. There is a clear link between child labour and low wages for adults, these links are both in the agriculture aspect and the garment factories. As a result they will most of the time be hired in preference to adults (Overeem, 2015). If child labour was to be banned around the world labour would become scarcer then it already is. This would then allow more adult workers to negotiate a better wage and then it would in turn improve the labour conditions. People around the world should be doing more to stop child labour. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) has been given the formal consent by almost all of the countries in the world, with the exceptions of the USA, Somalia and South Sudan. This rights document says that “work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours during the nights or work where the child is unreasonably
Regardless of some elaboration on this issue which clearly states that systematic approaches to child labor have not yet been materialized; in terms of sociology many countries continue to use child labor illegally. According to recorded information from the U.S. government presented by Caulfield’s (2009), he demonstrates how India has the peak rate of forced child labor and trafficking in areas such as textile manufacturing factories, goal mines, restaurants and household servants. Therefore, the major aim of Caulfield’s research is to focus the exploitation of young children in India, accounting both the legal and illegal side to show the different ways in which Indian government had tried and can defeat this issue of children being exploited and forced to work.
Poverty is the main reason for child labour. Poor households need the money, which their children can earn. Children contribute to 20 – 25 % of family income. It is obvious that the survival of certain families depends on the children’s earnings.
Throughout the past decades, child labor has been a controversial issue. The term “Child labor” is defined as work or employment done by the children against the national and international laws. Light and limited work is not a part of the child labor. But heavy and over-work in early age effect their health and safety and their growth. It also deprived them of the education. Children used to work at factories, fields, domestic work and the service sector in the 20th century. Poverty and the industrial development increase the level of child labor. The causes of the child labor in todays have become more complex and highly argued. The issue of child labor has been debated in the world since the 21st century. In some cultures, the child labor
Some of the worlds child labour are hidden from view and beyond the reach of the law. Did you know that there are 246 million children that are engaged in child labour, worldwide. 180 million children age of 5 through 17 are believed into the worst forms of child labour, including working in mines and with dangerous machinery. 5.7 million children are forced into debt bondage or even other forms of slavery, 1.8 million children are forced into prostitution and different stuff as well and 600,000 are engaged are in other illicit activities. Some children as young as eight and as old as fourteen, were primarily doing domestic work or toiling in factories. In addition to being denied education, children who work are frequent victims of maltreatment, physical and psychological violence or abused by anyone that the children may work for. The violence against children in the workplace is one of the five key areas to be addressed. Hundreds of millions of children are being forced to work, when they should be playing and going to school, and learning, which deprives them, their families and nations opportunity to develop and thrive. UNICEF are the efforts to protect children from any kind of child labour, and other forms of exploitation.