Child labour is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. It is a violation of children’s rights as the work can harm them mentally or physically, expose them to hazardous situations or stop them from going to school.
But unfortunately, the world's progress has decreased in the last few years to eradicate child labour in all forms. The COVID-19 crisis further eroded the gains that had been made in the past. If this trend continues, we will fall far behind on the collective commitment to end child labour by 2025.
The continuing persistence of child labour and exploitation poses a threat to national economies and has severe negative short and long term consequences for children such as denial of education and undermining physical and mental health.
But extensive evidence shows that child sensitive social protection reduces poverty while also contributing to income security in households, with broader significance for child health, education and food security and protection.
Observed on June 12th, World Day Against Child Labour is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour. The theme for 2023 is ‘Social Justice for All. End Child Labour.
Challenging problem
Since 2000, for nearly two decades, the world made a steady progress in reducing child labour. But over the past few years, this has been reduced because of conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic growth has been not robust and this has plunged many families into poverty which in turn has pushed children into hazardous work.
According to a report of UNICEF—Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward--the latest global estimates indicate that the number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide – an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years. The report warns that global progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years.
The number of children aged 5 to 17 years in hazardous work–-defined as work that is likely to harm their health, safety or morals – has risen by 6.5 million to 79 million since 2016. In sub-Saharan Africa, population growth, extreme poverty, and inadequate social protection measures have led to an additional 16.6 million children in child labour over the past four years.
According to the 2020 estimate of International Labour Organisation (ILO), 160 million children are in child labour and almost half of them work in hazardous areas. This means that roughly one out of ten children in the world are in child labour and around one out of 20 in hazardous child labour. While the percentage of children in child labour is highest in low-income countries, their numbers are actually greater in middle-income countries. About 9 percent of all children in lower-middle-income countries, and 7 percent of all children in upper-middle-income countries, are in child labour.
Absence of adequate data
Lack of proper government survey on child labour has posed another challenge. The educational institutions should also be revamped to address to all the structural flaws. The 2011 census indicates that India has 10.1 million children who are employed as labourers, while an additional 42.7 million children are unschooled. This number must have grown since the last census.
Despite the enactment of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act in 1986 and 2016 and the Right to Education (2009), children in India continue to remain extremely vulnerable to slavery, doing menial jobs which in turn affects the quality of human capital. human trafficking, illiteracy, poor physical and mental health experiencing a failed childhood that compromises the future quality of human capital.
Poverty has been the greatest force driving children into the workplace. Local traditions also play a pivotal role in many communities. Poor educational facilities also push children into doing work at an early age. Education is a proven strategy for reducing child labour. Lack of access to education keeps the cycle of exploitation, illiteracy and poverty going – limiting future options and forcing children to accept low-wage work.
What should be done?
Children in India are engaged in many industries which includes brick kilns, carpet weaving, food and restaurant service, agriculture, mining and fisheries. Poverty, lack of better study and work opportunities, migration are some of the main causes for child labour in India. Social inequalities especially in rural areas have made the situation worse.
The pandemic has brought into focus the multiple deprivations many children face. It has further aggravated the problems of child labour. Pandemic related closures of schools and childcare services, and overburdened health systems, left many children without key school, health, nutrition and sanitation services. The pandemic has also brought with it many structural inequalities and the persistence of high levels of child poverty.
The government has to strengthen efforts to ensure adequate investment in social protection for children, essentially through child benefits to support families. This will ensure sustainable development and social justice. The policymakers and the stakeholders should take decisive steps to attain universal social protection for all children. There is a need to have social protection systems that are gender-responsive and inclusive to address inequities and deliver better results for child labour.
The stakeholders should work towards securing sustainable financing for social protection systems by mobilising domestic resources and increasing budget allocation for children. The government should ensure that the registration of all child births are done and there should be a way to track the child’s progress. There should be continuous dialogue among governments, employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations for developing appropriate policies for addressing child labour and the various challenges.
World scenario
According to a report released by the ILO and UNICEF, there are 2.4 billion children in the world who need adequate social protection. Children are still twice as likely as adults to live in poverty. Despite its immediate and long-term impacts, approximately 1.5 billion children below the age of 15 years currently have no access to social protection and, alarmingly, progress in increasing effective coverage globally has stalled since 2016.
The policymakers and the stakeholders should take decisive steps to attain universal social protection for all children. There is a need to have social protection systems that are gender-responsive and inclusive to address inequities and deliver better results for child labour. There is a need for securing sustainable financing for social protection systems by mobilising domestic resources and increasing budget allocation for children.
While the stakeholders, including governments and other organisations should extend social protection for children and their families. This must include free and good quality schooling at least up to the minimum age for employment. Registration of all child births are done and there should be a way to track the child’s progress. There should also be continuous dialogue among governments, employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations for developing appropriate policies for addressing child labour and the challenges.
—The author, Dr Vanita Srivastava, is an independent science and health writer. The views expressed are personal.
Read her previous articles here
(Edited by : C H Unnikrishnan)
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