child labour causes and effects essay

Causes and Effects of Child Labor Essay

Introduction, causes of child labor, effects of child labor.

As a rule, people start their professional careers when they are of full age. In this case, they can work full-time, while employers do not face any significant issues with workers of this group. At the same time, many people start working, either legally or not, when they are younger than 18 years old, which is known as child labor. It should be mentioned at once that there are two representations of this phenomenon in the modern world.

On the one hand, it refers to those underage citizens who have the possibilities and right to work under the law. On the other hand, numerous teenagers become involved in illegal labor activities because harsh external conditions force them. According to van Wormer and Link (2015), it is necessary to distinguish between the two variations above, and the second type of child labor is a severe problem both for developed and developing states. Thus, this phenomenon can have economic, personal, and social reasons, while its effects can be detrimental both for individuals and whole countries.

As has been stated previously, there are many reasons for this phenomenon to exist. Among them, economic matters are said to have the most crucial impact. It is generally accepted that child labor rates are higher in those areas where people are forced to live close to poverty. It can refer to both underdeveloped states and troubled regions of developed countries. J. Sarkar and D. Sarkar (2015) denote that there are secure connections between “child labor and income inequality” (139). As soon as people are forced to struggle in finding means of subsistence, it is not a surprise that many children start working to earn some money. Thus, economic conditions represent the most popular phenomenon that results in child labor.

Social reasons are said to be closely connected to economic ones, but they consider the issue from a different point of view. Even if a child lives in a family with a more or less satisfactory income level, they can become involved in child labor because many people around them do the same. It refers to the fact that the social environment influences individuals heavily. For example, if a child from a secured family appears among representatives of lower classes, there is an opportunity that this child will soon start speaking and acting like these people. In other words, the social reasons stand for the reverse side of the economic causes. When some teenagers do not have enough money, they start working early, and it becomes a destructive example for other children.

Then, a phenomenon of child labor exists and prospers because of personal or family reasons. On the one hand, a parent or parents can get seriously ill or even die, which makes underage people take care of themselves. In this case, finding work seems to be one of the essential steps to survive. On the other hand, many teenagers become involved in child labor because they want it without any apparent economic and social preconditions. However, once they start their early professional careers, it is difficult for them to escape. Even if the working conditions are severe, children cannot leave a job because they appear in a labor trap (Smith 2015). In this case, a single mistake negatively influences many lives.

Thus, the causes above are interconnected, and it makes the situation with child labor severer. As soon as they evoke one another, it is impossible to tell which group of reasons has influenced more children or which of them is more dangerous than others. However, there are no doubts that these causes cannot go unnoticed, and they imply substantial consequences for both underage workers and whole states.

As has been mentioned previously, child labor has numerous effects. Firstly, it refers to health issues that can arise from premature working activities. One should note that the phenomenon under consideration mainly denotes teenagers who are involved in hard labor rather than brainwork in comfortable conditions. Thus, when underage people regularly deal with exhaustible physical activities, it influences their organisms significantly (J. Sarkar and D. Sarkar 2015). As a result, these children witness heart, back, and other related issues.

Furthermore, their moral order will appropriately decrease against the background of health problems. What is more, unless the teenagers change their working activity, the given state of affairs will become only worse for them. As a result, adults will have to deal with consequences, even though the mistakes were made long ago.

The second effect is connected with education, in general, and school enrollment, in particular. It is said that there are “significant negative relations between all forms of child labor and school enrolment” (Putnick and Bornstein 2015, 117). It is proven that those children who are involved in labor activities have neither time nor effort to attend schools. In addition to that, even those unofficially employed teenagers who attend schools show poor results in comparison with those children who focus solely on education. Consequently, if children experience problems with schools, it will be difficult for them to continue their education further, which is necessary for their future successful careers. Thus, the situation is the same because people make severe mistakes while they are young, and these errors influence their further life.

In addition to that, the individual problems above are combined and create crucial issues for whole countries. On the one hand, when many children miss schools, it negatively influences the situation in a country. For example, this state of affairs can create a shortage of educated and skillful specialists in various spheres of economy, technology, scientific area, and others. On the other hand, the situation with aggravated health also has an impact on countries. In this case, a significant number of people with limited physical abilities cannot be advantageous, and when it refers to the youth, it evokes even more crucial issues. Thus, governments are interested in solving the case with child labor.

Child labor is an essential phenomenon in the modern world because many people under 18 years old start their labor activities prematurely. Even though the term also refers to those children who work under the law, a majority of teenagers are involved in labor illegally. It exists due to many reasons, with economic, social, and personal ones are among them. It is difficult to mention which of them has more impact, and the three introduce essential reasons. Furthermore, child labor can be dangerous for individuals because it worsens their health and prevents them from obtaining a decent education. Thus, states struggle from this phenomenon because a significant number of uneducated young people with poor health conditions will result in appropriate problems for a country.

Putnick, Diane L., and Marc H. Bornstein. 2015. “Is Child Labor a Barrier to School Enrollment in Low- and Middle-Income Parties?” International Journal of Educational Development 41: 112-120.

Sarkar, Jayanta, and Dipanwita Sarkar. 2015. “Why Does Child Labor Persist with Declining Poverty?” Economic Inquiry 54 (1): 139–158.

Smith, Stephen C. 2015. Ending Global Poverty: A Guide to What Works. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Van Wormer, Katherine S., and Rosemary J. Link. 2015. Social Welfare Policy for a Sustainable Future: The U.S. in Global Context. California: SAGE Publications.

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Essay on Child Labour Causes, Effects, Solution & Prevention

July 24, 2020 by Study Mentor 7 Comments

Table of Contents

Child Labour – Essay 1

Introduction.

Life of the little ones is destroyed when they work in their childhood. Child labour is a common term that you hear in your everyday life. It is defined as work that deprives a child of his/her childhood and harms their mental and physical wellbeing.

According to ILO, any child below the age of 14 should not be involved in work for remuneration. It is a matter of concern in developing countries, like India, where there is a lack of awareness and education about a child’s health. They neglect the fact that children are the hope of their future.

It is a common practice to employ those children as domestic helper, shopkeeper’s assistants, etc. Child labor in the agriculture sector is common. Of course, it would be great when children could graduate a college and even keep in touch with a writer from  ib extended essay writing service  but, unfortunately, according to the conditions, their parents make them work in the fields instead of studying.

According to them, studying is not beneficial in any way, and their children should help them earn money. Their parents implant this mindset in their children also, and the child also believes the same thing. This mindset hampers the growth opportunity and development of the country.

Causes of Child Labour

The main reason for child labor to prevail in India is poverty. More than half of the country’s population belongs to the poor class. It usually happens when parents cannot afford the studies of their children, so they make them earn from a very tender age. It becomes a need to survive. Because in its absence, they won’t have enough money to have their daily bread.

Lack of Proper Education

Even after years of Independence, the children in our country are deprived of the fundamental right of education. It is a problem in the rural areas where there is no facility of education, and if something is available, it is miles away from their home.

Due to such administrative issues, child labor is so prevalent in India. At times children are forced to opt-out of school and end their studies because of financial problems. The worse affected are low-income families.

The Lure of Cheap Labour

There are shopkeepers, factory owners, and companies who employ these children so that they can pay them less. In this way, they hire labor and make a profit as well. They make these children work more than an adult would do as they can be easily manipulated and influenced, which leads to their exploitation.

Disease or Disability

There are families where the child is a sole earner as either his parents are dead or they are too sick to work. In such a situation, the parents have no other option but to send their child to work and earn the bread for the family. So, the children, instead of going to school, go to factories to work and financially support their family.

Consequences of Child Labour

Poor mental and physical health.

Children are very vulnerable at a young age. It affects their mental and physical health. Some studies show due to these works, children have stunted growth.

They also lose their innocence at an early age. The kind of care and attention a child needs growing up disappears because of the demands made from them.

Sexual Abuse-

There is sexual exploitation of both girls and boys. Some girls end up taking drugs, infected by HIV, STDs sometimes early and unwanted pregnancy. They get into the trap of prostitution or gets raped. In low-income families, girls are sold or married to older men by parents for some money.

No Education-

According to statistics, in developing countries, one-third of the child population fails to complete four years of their education. With the short-term benefits, they miss the educational qualifications and skills, which makes them lead the life of poverty. It is the lack of training that hinders their growth opportunity.

Physical Abuse-

There are various types of physical abuse, which involve cuts, burns, fractures, excessive fears, and nightmares. These consistent injuries leave an everlasting impact on a child’s mind.

To cope up with these fears and pressures, they end up abusing drugs. Ir tends to make them mature faster than usual. Childhood dreams get replaced by bitter realities.

Challenges in Controlling Child labor

Unclear laws-.

Child labor is not uniform. It takes place in many forms and types, depending on the kind of work a child has to do. The laws are vague, which does not help in combating the crime of child labor.

There are no strict guidelines that would protect the children from such horror. It is due to such complexity and no clear instructions that it becomes difficult to save a child from the grip of this crime.

Rehabilitation Problem-

The issue faced by the government and NGOs is that they lack the rehabilitation facility which the child might need. With no proper facilities available, they can fall on the grips of labor again.

For them to have a fresh start, those children need to feel the control of their new lives. These children need proper guidance and counseling to get better and achieve things in life.

Lack of Awareness-

Education will be the key to combat child labor. It is because of the lack of proper education and awareness; the families fall in this trap. There is a need for a proper awareness campaign to educate parents about the pitfalls of child labor.

The importance should be given on giving quality and relevant education. The mindset has to be changed in training young children to stop child labor.

Child labor act as a hindrance to the economic and social development of the country. It has to be resolved to have a better future. People and governments should come together to fight this evil.

Every child has a right to grow and prosper. It is the age of enjoyment and getting proper schooling. The children should not just be a mere means of having economic benefits for their family. It has many ill effects on a child’s mental health.

It leaves an impact which will haunt them all their adult life. So, to free our children from such evil, we need to make every effort to shape the future of children better. One has to create ways to help those kids upskill and support them to make sure the transition happens.

Child Labour – Essay 2

Child labour has been gripping the world at a very fast pace. But in India , this rate is quite alarming. This rate needs to be controlled as soon as possible not only in India but globally.

What is Child Labour?

In a broad sense, child labour simply means employing children illegally at workplaces. This is strictly prohibited under law and those who are caught employing children who have not attained working age will be treated by law.

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Though rules and regulations are not strict in India, the day is not far off when we would see our country working towards bringing an Empanelment that work for the rights of children.

Meaning & Definition of Child Labour

The actual definition of child labour can be technically explained as the fearless violation of the child rights act, wherein the act provides protection for the child and safeguards him by providing him with safeguards he is entitled to.

When child rights are not followed properly and the society misuses them to employ them in conditions unfit for their working, it is grossly equivalent to child abuse.

Child abuse and violation of child rights at workplace lead to a scenario that is discussed in the later part of this article.

Children under the age of 17 are strictly prohibited to take part in any kind of economic activity that will provide those wages.

In many cases they may be employed under worst conditions and may not even receive wages. So being part of a work environment, even if it’s for a few hours under the age of 17 is grossly treated as child labour.

Different types of Child Labour

In India, child labour occurs in various forms. Some of the most common types of child labour include bonded child labour , child labour in the mining industries , in manufacturing sectors, in domestic jobs, in fireworks industries and the worst of all, in the trafficking menace.

If we employ a small girl to work as a maid in our house and the girl happens to be under the age of 17, then that is treated as child abuse and we would be booked under Child Labour Act .

We can find many young boys and girls working in the fireworks and perfumed incense stick industries.

These kinds of tasks are easily performed by young boys and girls and they don’t have to be paid too much.

So, cheap labour is a cause of child labour in India.

In the manufacturing sector, children can be easily employed to do not-so-tough jobs like packaging work. These are identified as simple and can be done by small age groups with a little training.

Hence, not very high skills are required to employ children in this category. It works in both ways for the industries.

Firstly, the cost of employing a child would be definitely less compared to employing an adult, secondly, there is no training cost involved in teaching a child how to package things.

In the fireworks industry, particularly in the southern regions of India, there are huge factories employing children to work on fireworks.

Children are employed to coat the fireworks with a chemical substance that is not just harmful for their skin but may be hazardous to their health too.

In case of scented incense sticks, children employed in these types of industries tend to inhale the chemical coated on top of the incense sticks. Long term inhaling of these substances can cause injury to the respiratory system.

The bonded labour system is a banned system, for both adults and children. But in many remote parts of our country, these practices continue to exist and even children are made part of the inhuman practise.

A certain less known fact lies in employing children in cigarette industries. This is not talked about openly in the public since smoking itself is considered injurious to health.

Smoking ads have been banned by the government recently. Due to these strict norms, nobody discusses in the open about children being employed in their industries.

Rolling nicotine rolls and placing a tobacco may seem easy for any child to do, but the detrimental effects on thousands of children is hardly ever thought of.

So, these are some of the types of child labour that we commonly see in India. There are many more depending on the type of industry a particular child is associated with.

Child Labour in India

In India, child labour is a major problem because of the many reasons.

The fact that child labour is easily available and cost-effective puts it at the top most criteria for people to employ children blindly without taking note of their future.

For example, if we go to any suburban hotel in any part of our country, we are sure to spot at least one helper or cleaner being a guy under the age of 17.

Rules are made to prevent child labour acts. But the correct implementation of these rules is far from reality. There is no check in place. There are no officials who would check if these rules are strictly enforced.

So in India, the situation is more likely that rules and laws made are only for purposes of printing on paper and not beyond that.

The correct implementation of these rules would come to light when people start thinking about the children they have employed.

If we take our car to a service centre, we can find a whole lot of boys doing service work for the cars, cleaning them up, checking up the parts of the vehicles, etc.

The cheap labour these small guys are entitled to works as a double whammy for both the employer as well as the working guys. The employer makes a profit by employing small guys at cheap rates.

Guys whose families are stooped in misery and financial breakdowns are forced to go to work for making an earning to run the family.

Poverty and financial imbalances in society are therefore, trouble creators and their effects are seen directly on children.

Child labour laws in India

Some of the rules and acts enforced against carrying out child labour are given below:-

Free and fair education to all citizens of India in the age group of 6 to 14. Education for children in this bracket is declared compulsory too. (This is mentioned in the fundamental rights and directives of state policy.)

Child labour (Prohibition and regulation act) was formed in 1986 to protect children against working in factories under the age group of 14.

Persons found to be employing such children will be imprisoned for 3 months (extendable up to a year) and a fine imposed for INR 20,000.

A national policy on child labour was formulated in the year 1987.

The article 24 of the Indian constitution prohibits child labour in India.

The factories and Mines act also have special provisions to protect the rights of children.

These are just some of the rules and regulations present in India to protect children against child labour.

But the issue is about the effective implementation of these acts and ordinances which has not taken place as yet. If there were strict enforcement, children would not be employed so easily in various work forces.

People do not tend to the rules with fear, they know very well about the lenient nature of these regulations. Hence, approval or disapproval of these entitlements do not come into the picture in most of the cases.

Child Labour – A Big Social Menace in India

India is plagued by many social evils that bring a very bad picture to the nation and people belonging to the country.

Due to a certain section of the population that involves children in such activities, the entire society faces threat from becoming part of illegal activities.

Since long, there have always been cases of child labour thronging the country and have been a very bad impact on the society.

Today, looking at the facts and figures we can still claim that the situation hasn’t improved much in spite of strict enforcement of law and the judicial grounds.

It is high time we look into these aspects with deeper perspectives and set our thinking forces into action.

Child labour is a practice where children engage in economic activities on a full time basis. The practice deprives children of their childhood and is harmful to their physical and mental development.

The constitution of India, in its fundamental rights and Directive principles of state policy prohibits child labour below the age of 14 years. (Source Wikipedia )

Young children are enrolled in many business activities, house hold activities or forced to work in industries, totally ruining their future.

At a time when they should be attending school and play with other children, they are being enrolled in activities that deprive them of the very essence of childhood.

Many colors of child labour

There are countries which are facing worst form of child labour in the form of child slavery.

In such cases, they use children for illicit activities such a drug trafficking, exposing them to much hazardous work that is likely to harm the health, safety and morals of children.

It has been noticed that many industries such as coal mines and others that prepare chemicals like silicon, aluminum etc. employ children to carry out harmful tasks in their work areas.

This turns out to be even worse for the children as they end up suffering non curable disease and contract infections that may sometimes prove fatal also.

Child labour is not just an issue, it’s a social menace, right from the law makers to the normal citizen, everyone is involved in helping this social issue grow from its seeds to a big tree.

It has plagued India since time immemorial when strict enforcement’s were not prevalent.

Today, we find many people openly involving people in child labour activities and being proud of it as they are not afraid of lawmakers and are quite happy about doing so.  

There are several reasons behind the causes of child labour and over population being one of the biggest and major factors.

Other possible causes could be poverty, lack of social security, lack of proper education or no education, no visible alternative measures to make a livelihood.

Worst of all, the high prevalence of low income groups in a developing economy like India where rigid labour laws and numerous strict regulations are rampant make it even easier for the growth of child labour in the organized sector.

Girls are the ones who are the most deprived and underprivileged among all children.

Descriptive reasons for child labour in India

Overpopulation.

The population of India has been growing at an alarming stage and will soon cross China , which is currently holding the top position in terms of most populous country of the world.

In such a scenario where an underprivileged family has a minimum of three to four children, there is not much scope for people to earn well.

Hence, they make their children their own desirable medium to earn daily wages for the family.

It’s a normal scenario that people having more than two children (in fact people are preferring just one kid these days) are facing difficulties in planning for their kids’ education, clothing and jobs.

Children who belong to the poorer sections are forced to help their parents and siblings financially for their livelihood.

In developing countries unemployment is a major problem and on account of this, they cannot afford even the basic of facilities like food, shelter, clothes etc.

Children can be found employed in mines and industries, apart from other skilled areas like artisan jobs, etc. They have to work to make a livelihood out of it and to generate income for their family.

People who belong to the underprivileged sections of society tend to believe that the more number of off springs they produce, the more the working hands they receive to fulfill their daily needs.

In an educated society, the scenario is quite different. People understand the importance of attending school and the primary reason for getting employed in government jobs or in other good firms and MNCs.

On the other, illiterates undermine the value of education and do not realize the importance of going to school and further seek employment in a government job or in other good positions.

To see their children come out in flying colors in the future, they do not have big dreams or aspirations, hence they are limited to their own cringing world.

Early marriage

Being unemployed are one of the major issues in India, one of the major reasons being early marriage and also contributing to the factor of overpopulation.

It is practically impossible to create jobs or offer employment opportunities to all citizens of the country. On account of this, children are forced to help parents for their income and seek out on child labour.

Expensive higher education

For providing quality education , parents have to spend more money to get their children enrolled in good schools.

Today, many children don’t attend school for the sake of education, but rather stay at home losing out on precious time, simply because they cannot afford expensive education and the lack of important degrees and skill sets makes them unskilled in job fronts.

This could also play a major role in increasing child labour cases.

Lack of primary education

The Government of India has provided right to education to every child of India till the child reaches the fifth grade in school.

Government schools offer education at low and affordable rates to make education reach every child, so that child labour can be handled till a certain level and to avoid them in indulging in any economic activities.

But still poor people don’t understand the value of education and make their children working unsafe zones. These factors are depriving them from their basic compulsory education.

Effects of Child Labour

Letting children to get involved in age inappropriate activities leads to many bad influences on the child.

Some children suffer a bad childhood because their parents create a hostile environment for them, some others are unprivileged because they cannot afford good education and a basic livelihood, and some curse their own being as they are handicapped off their very existence by a section of anti-social elements in the country.

A quick peek into some of the damaging effects will provide a better idea:

Loss of quality childhood

Life does not offer a smooth ride at every stage. It is said that childhood is the golden period of one’s life and we cannot afford to get it back whenever we want it back.

Children should be allowed to play with their friends and make their childhood memorable.

Child labour, as a deadly evil, deprives children of a quality childhood as children engage themselves in hazardous work areas like mines and industries for their livelihood and to generate income for their family.

If children start working at such an early age they can in no way enjoy their childhood or have pleasant memories of a good childhood.

Health issues

If young children are forced to work at their tender ages in mines and industries, they are prone to various health issues and hazards, while they won’t even be having stamina to face mental and physical problems.

Working in mines and factories can lead to serious respiratory problems and can become lifelong victims of such dreaded diseases.

If children work in the mines and industries for their livelihood and to help their parents and siblings for generating money, they obviously cannot go to school for their education.

Education can help them to be self dependent and walk on their own feet in the society. Sadly, if we are not educated and are unskilled, we would not be employed by any good hirer and have to lead a life full of struggles.

Indulging in criminal cases / activities

As children remain uneducated they lose out on their sense of what is good and what is bad and many of them naturally tend to indulge in criminal activities.

This is a serious issue and of late, government is taking up strict measures to deal with it.

Many juvenile cases have been reported and are increasing at a very fast rate. It’s the moral responsibility of parents and teachers to take care of their children, guide them properly and monitor them.

Emotional harassment

When children who are not very privileged to be part of a larger civilized society see other children in a better picture playing, making merry and enjoying them, they are filled with thousands of stress creating questions about their existence and economic situation.

They are emotionally disturbed. And these emotionally disturbed children easily get influenced by criminal activities and take to anti-social elements very early in life.

Possible Solutions for Child Labour

Every problem has a possible solution. Yes and even a big menace like child labour can be stopped and prevented in a large country like India. It all depends on changing mindsets and evaluating situations from time to time.

Strict enforcement’s of laws together with rapid action committees to bring about execution of laws will be torch bearers for a better tomorrow and can throw light in the aspect of changing many innocent lives.

Let us now explore some possible solutions here:

Free education

If free education for one and all is made mandatory by the government, then to some extent it helps to check child labour.

This is especially helpful for parents who have very poor financial aids to allow their children to seek education and in the long run, benefit the society at large, especially the impoverished and underprivileged groups.

Mid-day meal schemes can also can be provided to children for their daily food needs. Good educational support creates an independent standing for a person in his community and in the society he belongs to.

If a good awareness is created among citizens for eliminating child labour then it can be stopped to a large extent.

Parents should be aware of the benefits of education and should send their children to school for their formal educational process.

In this way, they can become self dependent and on par with others in the society, landing them in good jobs for their sustenance and livelihood.

To bring about awareness, social campaigns should be created and inform citizens about the problems of child labour and related health issues.

Empowerment to poor people

Children from poor families are most likely to get involved in child labour cases. They are exploited by rich and influential people for managing their household work.

It’s not right on the part of affluent people to bring in helpless people from their communities and involve them in age inappropriate chores.

It goes against laws and if we also take up initiatives to empower them enough, then they cannot be exploited by such persons .

Strict Child Labour law

Indian Government on their part has done a fascinating work in carrying on their mission of eliminating child labour from India.

They have made strict rules such as Factory act and mines act which prohibit any children to work in such hazardous environments.

Plus they have also made rules for free education and mid-day meals in various states of India which has currently garnered an overwhelming response from all sections of society.

Moral education to parents and children

  There is an urgent need for making education mandatory, not only for children but equally for parents to bring in a bigger perspective regarding the upbringing of their children.

They should be well aware of the consequences of child labour and how it can affect their child’s life.

Social Awareness

The citizens, on moral grounds should not rope in younger children less than age of 14 and force them into household activities or other workshop related work.

In fact if anyone sees any person misbehaving with children or forcefully employs them, they should be immediately taken under the action of law and such persons should be immediately reported to the authorities.

Children are god’s most precious gifts to human being. It’s not good to ruin their lives by employing them at inappropriate ages.

We should allow them to enjoy their childhood to the fullest. A well groomed child will become a responsible citizen of the country and will respect others and same will be carried forward to the coming generations.

People should come forward and join hands in removing child labour from India completely. It’s not a single day job but if we all work together towards the cause, then nothing is Impossible.

Let’s hold our hands together and take pride in making our nation child-labour free and take our nation a step forward from developing to a developed stage.

Child Labour Facts & Statistics 

Some of the facts and figures revealed under the latest census are

• Over 27 million children do not attend school in India. Some are school drop outs, some of them do not attend school because their families don’t encourage them, and some of them are forcibly made to seek employment to support families.
• Out of this huge number, around 10 million children spend every day in their lives by being employed in some or the other factory or industry.
• Almost 70% of children employed in child labour activities are in the age group of 5 to 14.
• Almost 20 to 30% of these children are from below poverty line families.
• Almost 43% of the 27 million children are employed as domestic helps in houses.

How to Stop Child Labour

Some of the possible steps that help in creating improved awareness about child labour and its prevention is discussed below:

By educating the public about the ill effects of child labour. Child labour is illegal. This statement should be etched in the minds of people who propose to employ children at their workplaces.

People should not only be told that child labour is illegal, but they should be enlightened about the fine and imprisonment that they attract if they happen to enforce child labour in their companies.

If we really want to stand up against child labour, then we must join hands with an NGO or a social service center that fights for the rights of children.

We must make effective use of child lifelines and if we spot children anywhere being employed for work, we must immediately call up the help center and aid them in rescuing such children.

Child labour quotes 

Children are the most precious gifts from God. We have to nurture them and provide them opportunities to fly with bright colors.

We have to help them shape their future. We must secure their future by giving them good education. Below are some quotes against child labour:

• “Child labour is not just a menace; it is the result of a weakened thought process.”
• “Eradicate child labour else the country may soon see a degradation of rich talent going in for a waste”.
• “Child labour destroys the future of children; the future of the country is at stake due to this”.
• “Employing children for free and cheap labour is equivalent to moral destruction of many innocent lives of the country”.
• “Think of your own children being part of a child labour act, wouldn’t that make you arise and awake to bring about a new change in the society?”

Child Labour slogans

These days there are many public campaigns carried out by various organizations and volunteers to act against child labour.

People come out in the open and are no longer confined to the comfort of their rooms to voice their concerns. They use effective tools of technology to validate their thoughts and act accordingly.

We can see many organizations shouting slogans to make people aware about this deadly menace:

• “Stop Child labour at once, children need better lives.”
• “Why child labour, why not child education?”
• “ Freedom for children illegally involved in child labour”
• “Children need freedom for their development, bonding them under child labour is a crime”.
• “Child rights and child freedom are gifts from god; let us not invade their territories”.

A Case study on child labour

In a particularly interesting case, a small town boy from West Bengal accidentally came into the hands of an agent who used children for easy money making.

He would stealthily catch hold of children or take them away from their parents and cheat them. He would actually steal children and once children are in his clutches, he would harass them and leave them homeless.

He was operating in a big network and his circles were present in south Indian regions.

He grabbed this particular boy named Ranjith who was just 14 years then and took him over from a small town in West Bengal all the way to Kerala. In Kerala, he had connections with a small time gold shopkeeper and handed over this guy to him. Ranjith saw the worst times of his life.

The shopkeeper made him work for almost 14 hours a day. He was left with no food and no sleep for days together.

He was physically and mentally abused at many times. The shop owner brutally hit him if he disagreed to doing his tasks.

He was morally disgraced and the boy entered depression gradually. But, he mustered courage and on the pretext of going out for some other reason, he found a way to escape from the clutches of the shop keeper.

Not familiar with the place in Kerala, he ended up somewhere at Kozhikode. The police at Kozhikode saw this particular guy wandering homeless and planned to rehabilitate him properly.

The personnel acted with concern and took him to a rehabilitation center where he was further referred to a child care center at Calicut.

During his stay at Calicut, the child began to feel better and started improving. With company of other children and friendly staff, he began to open up on his past experiences.

During one of his counseling sessions with an expert in child care, he briefly talked about his abusive master in the form of gold shop owner. He further threw light about the agent operating in circles and how he was nabbed by him.

The personnel at the child care center took up this matter seriously and soon informed the police about it. The police acted swiftly.

They sat out to nab the agent. 3 police personnel forming a group, including a lady sub inspector hatched out a plan to nab the agent.

The agent was found out by police sources and was contacted by the lady sub inspector who told him that she was actually a teacher.

She made the agent believe her that she wanted money. In return for money, she was ready to hand over Ranjith who was under his custody till some time ago.

The tricks of the police had worked. They contacted the agent again and told him the venue from where he could come and collect Ranjith.

The agent gave in. Instead of him, he sent one of his men to the pre-discussed spot. The police personnel, all three of them, arrived at the spot in plain clothes and successfully nabbed the agent’s man.

The agent’s man, upon strict interrogations, revealed his own identity and gave vital clues about the agent’s whereabouts.

Finally, the agent was tracked down and nabbed. Technology also played a major role in tracing the agent and nabbing him. The culprit was given his due punishment and booked under law.

The gold shop owner was also booked under the child labour act and was fined severely.

Thorugh several interrogations, it was finally revealed that around 6 children were trapped by the agent in total and he was part of a bigger network.

The network was traced down and all the six children were freed from their clutches. They were provided proper rehabilitation under the child care center in Calicut.

Ranjith was luckily sent back home and re-united with his family in the small town at West Bengal.

Implications drawn from the case study

Not everybody is as lucky as Ranjith. In most of the cases, children go unnoticed in crimes and become part of bigger networks that deport them to different parts of the world.

They can hardly be traced back or re-united with their families. Many of their identities would be erased and they would be totally blacked out.

In Ranjith’s case, it was the police which played the most crucial role in not just rescuing his life, but also providing a new life to six other children who were part of the trap.

The right attitude towards rescuing children and giving them their due rights provided the right steps in the right direction.

The case had many turning points but the police handled them with their intelligence. We salute such people and applaud them in our society. They are a true asset to the country and its citizens.

We may also come across similar child care centers operating in different parts of the country in various different ways for the welfare of children.

Some of the noteworthy mentions include CRY (Child Rights and YOU), Child line India foundation, Save the Children Foundation , etc.

We should understand that child labour is a problem, not just in developing countries like India but exists in developed countries as well.

The police cannot arrive at every workplace to check if there is existence of child labour. People and their mentalities should change to put an overall end to this issue.

People should be educated; they should be enriched with morals and values to stop this menace. They should be morally made responsible for their own acts and they should be made to own their mistakes.

http://www.childlineindia.org.in/1098/CaseOfChildLabour.htm

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Child Labour – India’s Hidden Shame

From Current Affairs Notes for UPSC » Editorials & In-depths » This topic

One of the most unfortunate consequences of the pandemic and its wide range of restrictions has been the higher vulnerability of children to different forms of abuse and deprivation. Moreover, the second wave of COVID-19 has left several children without both or one of their parents. This situation exposed them to hopelessness, financial hardships and increased risk of child labour, exploitation, and trafficking.

Who is a child?

Child and Adolescent Labour (prohibition and regulation) Act 1986 defines the child as a person who has not completed the age of 14 years.

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What is Child Labour?

• Child Labour as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a work that takes away children their childhood, their potential and their dignity which is harmful to their physical as well as mental development.
• ILO also explains child labour in its most extreme forms involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities — often at a very early age.
• But Children or adolescents who involve in works that do not impact their health and personal development or affect their schooling is not child labour. For instance, helping their parents at home, helping family or earning pocket money outside school hours and on holidays.

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How children are exploited for Labour in India?

Instead of being in school or at play or other constructive activities, they are put to work on a range of activities that span repetitive low-skill work that doesn’t aid development for future employment opportunities, they are forced to be exposed to conditions devastating to health and safety in the agriculture, industry and service sectors.

The work involves long hours on a bewildering range of tasks such as transferring pollen in cotton plants, picking the crop with their bare hands, indentured on tea or tobacco plantations and brick making factories and construction sites; being sent down dangerous mines for extracting gold and diamonds, or confined to cramped workshops for cutting and polishing gemstones; working at slaughterhouses and tanneries with minimal protection or under life-threatening conditions at fireworks factories.

Children are very commonly employed in the murky underbelly of the fashion industry in yarn and spinning mills, and garment factory sweatshops, put to work from handling silkworms in scalding water to doing painstaking embellishment work. They are on the streets picking rags – carrying an entire recycling industry on their shoulders, or in homes doing domestic work either as employees of others or in the case of girls in their own homes where they are treated as free labour and not considered as deserving of education as their brothers.

The worst of all is the human trafficking situations of modern-day slavery that children are thrown into, facing horrific abuse and lifelong trauma as bonded labourers or sold into sexual exploitation . Alongside the physical implications of this work, can we even begin to imagine the mental health consequences for these children and adolescents forced into labour?

What is the statistics of child labour in India?

According to the 2011 census,

• there were more than 10.2 million children in the age group of 5-14 working as child labourers.
• Child labour has increased rapidly in urban areas and declined in rural areas.
• The overall decrease in child labour is only 2.2% per year from 2001-2011.
• India’s biggest child labour employers are – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

What is the nature of child labour in India?

Change in work location: There has been high involvement of children in home-based works and in the informal sector.

Rural-Urban areas:

• In urban areas, a huge number of children are involved in manual domestic work, rag picking, restaurants, motor repair shops, etc.
• Agriculture including cotton growing,
• Matchbox industries,
• Brass, and lock-making factories,
• Embroidery,
• Rag-picking,
• Beedi-rolling,
• Carpet-making industry,
• Mining and stone quarrying,
• Brick kilns,
• Tea gardens etc.

Gender specific: The division of labour is gender-specific with girls being engaged in more domestic and home-based work, and boys working as wage labourers.

Bonded Child labour: refers to the employment of a person against a loan, debt or social obligation by the family of the child or family as a whole. Bonded child labourers are mostly found in the agriculture sector or helping their families in brick kilns, and stone quarries. There are around 10 million bonded child labourers in India.

Migrant Children: Children who are migrating to other locations with family are often forced to drop-out schools and unavoidably put to work at work-sites.

What are the causes of Child Labour in India?

Poverty and Indebtedness:

• Poverty is the greatest cause of child labour. For impoverished households, income from a child’s work is generally important for his or her own survival or for that of the household.
• Children are also bonded to labour because of the family indebtedness.
• Rural poverty and urban migration often expose children to being trafficked for work.

Adult unemployment and under-employment : high prevalence of adult unemployment and under-employment often force children to work to support the family.

Illiteracy and Ignorance of parents:  Illiteracy of the child’s parents further worsens the crisis. Illiteracy and Lack of awareness of the harmful consequences of child labour make them violate the law and put their children under the risk of inhuman exploitation.

Lack of access to basic and meaningful quality education and skills training:

• The current educational infrastructure is highly unsuitable to children of economically deprived families.
• Furthermore, the deteriorating quality of education has resulted in increasing dropout rates and forced children to engage in work.
• Compulsory education (RTE) does not cover the 15-18 age group (adolescents). However, being illiterate or school dropouts, these children are vulnerable and most exploited for the informal, unskilled and casual workforce.

Demand for child labour :

• Rising demand for child labour particularly in urban areas is an important cause for the prevalence and increase in child labour.
• Children are employed as they are cheap and flexible with respect to the demands of the employer and not aware of their rights.

Cultural factors:

• An expectation that children should contribute to the socio-economic survival of the family and community, as well as the existence of large families,  contribute to the prevalence of child labour.
• Children mostly take up family’s traditional work from an early age. For instance, a Goldsmith’s son takes to gold-smithery, or a carpenter’s child takes up carpentry from an early age.

Social factors:  There is a strong correlation between India’s differentiated social structure and child labour. The majority of child labourers in India belong to the so called lower castes (SCs), the tribal and Muslim religious minority.

What are the impacts of child labour?

• Affect childhood: Child labour takes away a child of his/her childhood. It not only denies his/her right to education but also right to leisure.
• Affect adult life: Child labour prevents children from gaining the skills and education they require to have opportunities for decent work when they become an adult.
• Major health and physical risks: as they work long hours and are needed to do tasks for which they are physically and mentally unprepared. Working in hazardous situations adversely impacts a child’s physical and mental health and affects intellectual, emotional and psychological development.
• Poverty: Child labour is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Household poverty makes children enter the labour market to earn money = they miss out on an opportunity to get an education = further continuing household poverty across generations in a vicious cycle.

• Affect country as a whole: Existence of a large number of child labourers has long term effect on the economy and it is a serious obstacle to the socio-economic welfare of the country.

What are the International Safeguards against Child Labour?

International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions:

• The two Core Conventions directly related to child labour are that of ILO Convention 138 (Minimum age convention) and 182 (Worst forms of Child Labour Convention).
• India has ratified both the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.

Declaration of Rights of Child, 1959:

• Universal declaration of human rights 1948 –  mentions (under article 25) that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance.
• The above principles along with other principles of a universal declaration concerning child were incorporated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989

It sets out different rights of children- civil, political, economic, cultural, social and health. Article 32 states that the government should protect children from work that is dangerous or might harm their health or their education.

What are the measures taken by India?

Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 

Based on the recommendations of the Gurupadaswammy Committee (1979), the Act was passed in 1986. It has the following objectives:

• to prohibit the engagement of children in some employment.
• and to regulate the conditions of work of children in certain other employment.

Salient features:

• The Act prohibits children from working in any occupation listed in Part A of the Schedule; for example: Catering at railway establishments, construction work on the railway or anywhere near the tracks, plastics factories, automobile garages, etc.
• The act also prohibits children from working in places where certain processes are being undertaken, as listed in Part B of the Schedule; for example beedi making, tanning, soap manufacture, brick kilns, and roof tiles units, etc.
• Part III of the act outlines the conditions in which children may work in occupations/processes not listed in the schedule.
• Any person who employs any child in contravention of the provisions of section 3 of the Act is liable for punishment with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 3 months but which may extend to one year or fine.

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016

• The Amendment Act completely prohibits the employment of children below 14 years.
• The amendment also prohibits the employment of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes and regulates their working conditions where they are not prohibited.
• The amendment also provides stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and making the offence of employing any child or adolescent in contravention of the Act by an employer as cognizable.

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017

• The rules provide a broad and specific framework for prevention, prohibition, rescue, and rehabilitation of child and adolescent workers.
• It also clarifies on issues related to helping in family and family enterprises and definition of family with respect to the child.
• It states that the child shall not perform any tasks during school hours and between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• It also provides for safeguards of artists which have been permitted to work under the Act, in terms of hours of work and working conditions.
• It states that no child shall be allowed to work for more than 5 times a day, and for not more than 3 hours without rest.

National Policy on Child Labour (1987)

• It contains the action plan for tackling the problem of Child Labour.
• It focuses more on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes, rather than on prevention.
• The policy consists of three main attributes:
• Legal Action plan –Emphasis will be laid on strict and effective enforcement of legal provisions relating to a child under various Labour laws.
• Focusing on general development programmes- Utilisation of various on-going development programmes of other Ministries/Departments for the benefit of Child Labour wherever possible.
• Project-based plan of Action – Launching of projects for the welfare of working child in areas of high concentration of child labour.

National Child Labour Project Scheme

• For rehabilitation of child labour, the Government had initiated the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme.
• The NCLP Scheme seeks:
• To eliminate all forms of child labour through identification and withdrawal children from child labour and preparing them for mainstream education along with vocational training
• To contribute to the withdrawal of all adolescent workers from Hazardous Occupations / Processes and their skilling and integration in suitable occupations.
• Creation of a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System.

Pencil:  The government has launched a dedicated platform viz. pencil.gov.in to ensure effective enforcement of child labour laws and end child labour.

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and Amendment of the Act in 2006

• It includes the working child in the category of children in need of care and protection, without any limitation of age or type of occupation.
• Section 23 (cruelty to Juvenile) and Section 26 (exploitation of juvenile employee) specifically deal with child labour under children in need of care and protection.

The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009):  The Act made it mandatory for the state to ensure that all children aged six to 14 years are in school and receive free education.

Many NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, ChildFund, CARE India, Talaash Association, Child Rights and You, Global march against child labour, RIDE India, Child line, Kailash Satyarthi Children Foundation etc. have been working to eradicate child labour in India.

What are the Challenges in reducing child labour in India?

Issues with Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016:

• The list of hazardous industries has been drastically decreased, this may allow the employers in industries like chemical mixing units, cotton farms, battery recycling units, and brick kilns, etc. to employ adolescent labour, which they may even get at a much cheaper price.
• Further, the amendment allows a child to be employed in “family or family enterprises”.This raises a question over a large number of child labour in agrarian rural India where poor families are trapped in intergenerational debt-bondage.

Definitional issue:  One of the biggest challenges in eradicating child labour is the confusion around the definition of a child, in terms of age, in various laws dealing with child labour.

Lack of identification:  Age identification of children is a difficult task in India due to the lack of identification documents. Child labourers often lack school registration certificates and birth certificates, creating an easy loophole in the law to exploit. Most often the children of migrant workers working as labourers and those employed in domestic work go unreported.

Weak enforcement of law and poor governance: Weak enforcement of the law, lack of adequate deterrence and corruption is a major hurdle in eradicating child labour.

What is the way forward?

• Child labour is a vicious circle of poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and low wages. There should be a concerted effort towards social protection programmes and cash transfers to improve the economic situation of families and to reduce the “need” to send children to work.
• There is an urgent need to revamp educational infrastructure- to ensure access to educational institutions, improvement in quality and relevance of education
• There is a need to bring uniformity in existing Indian laws dealing with child labour. The laws must expand the definition of a child by prohibiting the employment of and ensuring free and compulsory education (RTE, Act, 2009) for children below 18 years
• There is a need to launch a national campaign to invoke public interest and large-scale awareness on the exploitation of children and the menace of child labour.
• The government should take adequate measures to raise awareness among families and communities. Parental literacy can play an important role in ensuring the rights of children are upheld.
• Elimination of child labour demands commitment from the society e.g. family, state, civil society and those who employ children in any enterprises.

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What is Child Labor?

Child labor is the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular schools, and is mentally, physically, socially, or morally harmful.

This global issue encompasses a wide range of tasks and activities that subject children to conditions that impede their well-being, hinder their development, and undermine their fundamental rights.

The term extends to situations where children are engaged in work that is dangerous, prevents them from accessing education, or involves excessive hours and labor that is detrimental to their physical and mental health.

• Child labor statistics

The global landscape of child labor is alarming, with an estimated 160 million children, comprising 63 million girls and 97 million boys, engaged in various forms of labor worldwide. Disturbingly, almost one in ten children globally is affected by this issue.

A significant concern is the hazardous work that nearly half of these children, totaling 79 million, are involved in, posing direct threats to their health, safety, and moral development.

Recent data from a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, published in June 2021, reveals a troubling increase of 8.4 million child laborers in the last four years, and an additional 9 million children are at risk due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The age distribution is particularly concerning, with children aged 5 to 11 constituting 48% of all child laborers, emphasizing the vulnerability of the youngest demographic.

Although there was a notable reduction of 94 million child laborers between 2000 and 2016, progress has slowed in recent years. Regional disparities are evident, with Africa having the highest percentage (one-fifth) and the highest absolute number (92 million) of children in child labor.

The agricultural sector remains a significant contributor, accounting for 70% of all child labor cases, involving a staggering 112 million children. These statistics underscore the urgent need for global efforts to address child labor, safeguard children’s rights, and ensure their well-being and access to education.

• Forms of Child Labor

Child labor takes various forms, impacting millions of children globally. The notable forms include:

1. Slavery or Similar Practices:

Involves the ownership of individuals, treating them as property, and forcing them to work without any control over their circumstances. Slaves are often held against their will and lack the freedom to refuse work.

2. Child Trafficking:

The illegal trading of children involves activities such as buying, selling, and moving children for labor or sexual exploitation. Trafficked children may be coerced or forced into various forms of work against their will.

3. Forced Recruitment into Armed Conflict:

Children are compelled or coerced into participating in armed conflicts, serving in roles such as soldiers, scouts, cooks, guards, or messengers. This is a blatant violation of human rights law.

4. Prostitution and Pornography:

Exploitation of children for sexual purposes includes engaging them in prostitution or involving them in the production of pornographic material. This form of child labor exposes children to significant physical and psychological harm.

5. Drug Production and Trafficking or Other Illegal Acts:

Children are involved in the production and trafficking of drugs or engaged in other illegal activities. This often exposes them to dangerous conditions, addiction, and the risk of criminal repercussions.

6. Debt Bondage:

Forced labor where individuals or families work to pay off debts that cannot be settled with money or goods. Often, this creates a cycle of perpetual enslavement, especially when the debt-holder has no intention of lifting the debt.

7. Hazardous Work that Can Cause Injury or Moral Corruption:

Involves engaging children in work that poses risks to their health, safety, or morals. This could include physically demanding or dangerous work that interferes with their normal development.

8. Involvement in Illicit Activities:

Children may be exploited for various criminal activities, such as theft, burglary, drug production, and trafficking. Organized crime gangs can groom and exploit children, exposing them to addiction and other risks.

9. Agricultural Labor:

Child labor is concentrated in agriculture, with children engaged in farming, fishing, livestock, forestry, and aquaculture. Poverty often drives children into agricultural labor, and any work that interferes with schooling or harms their health is considered exploitation.

10. Mining:

Thousands of children globally work in mines, extracting materials like cobalt, salt, gold, and mica. Conditions in mines are often harsh, with long hours, exposure to toxic substances, and inadequate safety measures.

11. Factory Work:

Children may be exploited in factories where they face poor ventilation, exposure to toxic materials, and hazardous machinery. Instances of child labor have been reported in various industries, including meatpacking plants.

12. Domestic Work:

Involves various tasks and services within households. Exploitation occurs when children work at ages younger than legal limits, face hazardous conditions, or when their domestic work interferes with education. Domestic work exploitation is sometimes “hidden” as children are expected to contribute to the household.

These forms of child labor not only endanger the immediate well-being of children but also hinder their long-term development and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

• Causes of Child Labor

Child labor can be attributed to various factors, and experts highlight several key causes:

1. Poverty:

Poverty is identified as the primary force driving children into the workplace. Families facing economic hardships often resort to child labor as a means of supplementing household income.

2. Unhealthy Family Life and Economic Deprivation:

Challenging domestic situations, such as instability, domestic violence, or neglect, may lead families to involve their children in work for coping or survival.

3. Lack of Access to Quality Education:

Limited access to quality education, including barriers like school fees and uniform costs, contributes to low literacy rates and diminishes opportunities for children.

4. Poor Governance and Inadequate Implementation of International Agreements:

Ineffective governance, weak regulatory frameworks, and corruption create an environment where exploitative labor practices can persist. Inadequate implementation of international agreements against child labor further hampers progress.

5. Conflicts & Mass Migration:

Regions affected by conflicts and mass migration experience increased vulnerability to child labor due to economic instability, breakdown of social structures, and displacement of families.

6. Limited Economic Resources:

Families in poverty often view children as economic assets, compelling them to seek additional income streams through child labor.

7. Limited Understanding of Child Labor:

Cultural beliefs and social norms that view work as character-building may contribute to families not fully understanding the dangers of child labor.

8. Natural Disasters & Climate Change:

Rural families dependent on farming may send their children to work when crops are destroyed due to climate changes, contributing to economic struggles.

9. Lack of Funding for Education:

Insufficient funding for educational projects in various regions limits access to quality education, especially in conflict zones.

Effects of Child Labor

• Physical Effects

Malnutrition:

• Working children often face insufficient access to a balanced and nutritious diet.
• Inadequate nutrition can lead to stunted growth, weakness, and vulnerability to illnesses.

Exposure to Hazardous Conditions:

• In agriculture, children may handle toxic fertilizers and pesticides, posing risks to their respiratory and overall health.
• In mining, exposure to explosives and poisonous chemicals, coupled with the danger of mine collapses, increases the likelihood of severe injuries or fatalities.

Physical and Verbal Abuse:

• Child labor victims may endure physical abuse through harsh working conditions, leading to injuries such as cuts, bruises, and fractures.
• Verbal abuse can contribute to emotional trauma, affecting a child’s self-esteem and mental well-being.
• Mental Health Effects

Adverse Mental Health Outcomes:

• Children engaged in labor face the stress of adult responsibilities, leading to an increased risk of mental health issues.
• Hazardous work conditions can result in chronic stress, anxiety disorders, and long-term psychological consequences.

Destructive Habits:

• Coping mechanisms, such as smoking, alcoholism, or drug abuse, may arise as a response to the emotional and psychological stress of child labor.
• These habits further exacerbate health risks and can persist into adulthood.

Emotional and Relationship Difficulties:

• Exposure to abusive environments during child labor contributes to long-lasting emotional difficulties, including challenges in forming trusting and healthy relationships.
• Victims may struggle with self-esteem, hindering personal development.
• Long-term Consequences

Long-term Health Consequences:

• The physical toll of child labor may lead to chronic health conditions that persist into adulthood, affecting overall quality of life.
• Early exposure to hazardous substances can result in long-term health issues, such as respiratory diseases and neurological disorders.
• Societal Impact

Cycle of Poverty:

• Families trapped in the cycle of child labor may prioritize immediate income over investing in education, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.
• Lack of education limits future opportunities, reinforcing socio-economic disparities.

Hindrance to Social Development:

• The prevalence of child labor creates a workforce with limited skills and education, hindering a nation’s overall social and economic development.
• A less educated and skilled workforce may struggle to contribute effectively to technological advancements and economic growth.

Jeopardizing Community Well-being:

• Ignoring child labor jeopardizes the well-being of communities, as these children are not just the future but integral members of society today.
• Failure to address child labor weakens community bonds and resilience, as a significant portion of the population faces physical, mental, and socio-economic challenges.

• How to stop child labor

Stopping child labor requires a multi-faceted and comprehensive approach:

1. Education :

Promote and improve accessibility, quantity, and quality of education to discourage child labor.

2. Awareness:

• Educate individuals about child labor issues.
• Engage with businesses to encourage responsible practices in supply chains.

3. Fair Trade Practices:

Support fair trade products and companies committed to ethical production.

4. Government and Civil Society Involvement:

• Advocate for strong government policies against child labor.
• Collaborate with civil society organizations to implement effective measures.

5. Living Wage:

Work towards paying a living wage to address poverty, a significant driver of child labor.

6. Discourage Employment of Children:

Sensitize trade organizations and discourage the employment of children in various settings.

7. Financial Support:

Contribute to reputable organizations working globally to protect children from labor and exploitation.

8. Child Sponsorship:

Sponsor a child to support their education and overall well-being.

9. Ethical Investments:

Assess the ethical impact of investments to discourage support for companies exploiting child labor.

10. Certification Initiatives:

Advocate for a universal labeling initiative certifying products free from child labor.

By combining these strategies, individuals, businesses, governments, and civil society can collectively work towards eradicating child labor and building a fair, just, and compassionate society.

• Bonyan Organization’s Efforts to End Child Labor

At Bonyan, we embark on a heartfelt mission to eliminate child labor, recognizing the profound impact it has on the lives of vulnerable children.

Our commitment extends across various initiatives designed to break the cycle of exploitation and provide meaningful alternatives. Through our education programs , we strive to empower refugee children with the invaluable gift of knowledge, redirecting their paths away from labor and towards a brighter future.

Our social empowerment endeavors aim to uplift entire communities, addressing the root causes that perpetuate child labor. Bonyan’s pioneering Early Recovery and Livelihood (ERL) Program serves as a catalyst for change, offering financial support, vocational training, and employment opportunities to alleviate economic pressures that often force children into labor.

We take pride in our holistic approach, seamlessly integrating education activities with our ERL Program , providing families with comprehensive support through vocational training and seed funds. As active contributors to policy development, we work tirelessly towards systemic changes that safeguard children from exploitative labor practices.

Donate to end child labor

Join Bonyan in our relentless pursuit to end child labor. Together, let’s create a world where every child is free to learn, dream, and thrive.

Stand with Bonyan. End Child Labor Today!

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• What is Meant by Child Labor?

Child labor is defined as work that denies children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity.

• What are the root causes of child labor?

Root causes include poverty, lack of access to quality education, poor access to decent work, and limited understanding of child labor.

• How can child labor be addressed at its root?

Addressing the root cause of child labor involves tackling poverty. One effective strategy is to pay adult workers decent wages, enabling them to support their families without relying on child labor.

• What are The Problems of Child Labor?

Psychological and physical damage. Deprivation of education. Sexual exploitation. Child marriage. Begging and gangs that exploit children.

• What are the consequences of child labor?

Child labor can lead to extreme bodily and mental harm, slavery, and sexual or economic exploitation. In nearly every case, it deprives children of their childhood and fundamental rights.

• How can we combat child labor?

Strategies to combat child labor involve promoting education, raising awareness, supporting fair trade practices, advocating for government policies, and working towards paying living wages.

• Child Labour (ILO-Ankara)

Essay on Child Labour for Students and Children

500+ words essay on child labour.

Child labour is a term you might have heard about in news or movies. It refers to a crime where children are forced to work from a very early age. It is like expecting kids to perform responsibilities like working and fending for themselves. There are certain policies which have put restrictions and limitations on children working.

The average age for a child to be appropriate to work is considered fifteen years and more. Children falling below this age limit won’t be allowed to indulge in any type of work forcefully. Why is that so? Because child labour takes away the kids opportunity of having a normal childhood, a proper education , and physical and mental well-being. In some countries, it is illegal but still, it’s a far way from being completely eradicated.

Causes of Child Labour

Child Labour happens due to a number of reasons. While some of the reasons may be common in some countries, there are some reasons which are specific in particular areas and regions. When we look at what is causing child labour, we will be able to fight it better.

Firstly, it happens in countries that have a lot of poverty and unemployment . When the families won’t have enough earning, they put the children of the family to work so they can have enough money to survive. Similarly, if the adults of the family are unemployed, the younger ones have to work in their place.

Moreover, when people do not have access to the education they will ultimately put their children to work. The uneducated only care about a short term result which is why they put children to work so they can survive their present.

Furthermore, the money-saving attitude of various industries is a major cause of child labour. They hire children because they pay them lesser for the same work as an adult. As children work more than adults and also at fewer wages, they prefer children. They can easily influence and manipulate them. They only see their profit and this is why they engage children in factories.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Eradication of Child Labour

If we wish to eradicate child labour, we need to formulate some very effective solutions which will save our children. It will also enhance the future of any country dealing with these social issues . To begin with, one can create a number of unions that solely work to prevent child labour. It should help the children indulging in this work and punishing those who make them do it.

Furthermore, we need to keep the parents in the loop so as to teach them the importance of education. If we make education free and the people aware, we will be able to educate more and more children who won’t have to do child labour. Moreover, making people aware of the harmful consequences of child labour is a must.

In addition, family control measures must also be taken. This will reduce the family’s burden so when you have lesser mouths to feed, the parents will be enough to work for them, instead of the children. In fact, every family must be promised a minimum income by the government to survive.

In short, the government and people must come together. Employment opportunities must be given to people in abundance so they can earn their livelihood instead of putting their kids to work. The children are the future of our country; we cannot expect them to maintain the economic conditions of their families instead of having a normal childhood.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What causes child labour?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Child Labour is caused by many factors. The most important one is poverty and illiteracy. When people barely make ends meet, they put their children to work so they can have food two times a day.”} }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How can we prevent child labour?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”:”Strict measures can prevent child labour. Unions should be made to monitor the activities of child labour. Education must be made free to enroll more and more kids in school. We must also abolish child trafficking completely to save the children.”} }] }

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• Child Labour Essay

What is Child Labour?

Child Labour means the employment of children in any kind of work that hampers their physical and mental development, deprives them of their basic educational and recreational requirements. A large number of children are compelled to work in various hazardous and non-hazardous activities such as in the agriculture sector, glass factories, carpet industry, brass industries, matchbox factories, and as domestic help. It is a blot on our society and speaks immensely about the inability of our society to provide a congenial environment for the growth and development of children. 

Childhood is considered to be the best time of one’s life but unfortunately, this does not hold true for some children who struggle to make both ends meet during their childhood years. According to the Child Labour project and 2011 census, 10.2 million children are engaged in child labour in India, out of which 4.5 million are girls. 

Earlier, children helped their parents in basic chores in agriculture such as sowing, reaping, harvesting, taking care of the cattle, etc. However, with the growth of the industries and urbanization, the issue of child labour has increased. Children at a very tender age are employed for various inappropriate activities and they are forced to make hazardous stuff using their nimble fingers. They are employed in the garment factories, leather, jewellery, and sericulture industries. 

Contributing Factors of Increasing Child Labour

There are a number of factors that contribute to the rise of this peril. 

Poverty plays a major role in the issues of child labour. In poor families, children are considered to be an extra earning hand. These families believe that every child is a bread-earner and so they have more children. As these children grow up, they are expected to share their parents’ responsibilities. 

Illiteracy is an important factor that contributes to this problem. The illiterate parents think that education is a burden because they need to invest more in comparison to the returns that they get in the form of earnings from their children. Child labourers are exposed to unhygienic conditions, late working hours, and different enormities, which have a direct effect on their cognitive development. The tender and immature minds of the children are not able to cope with such situations leading to emotional and physical distress. 

Unethical employers also prefer child labourers to adults because they canextract more work from them and pay a lesser amount of wage. Bonded child labour is the cruellest act of child labour. In this type of child labour, the children are made to work to pay off a loan or a debt of the family. Bonded labour has also led to the trafficking of these impoverished children from rural to urban areas in order to work as domestic help or in small production houses or just to lead the life of street beggars. 

Role of the Government

The government has a very important role to play in the eradication of child labour. As poverty is the major cause of child labour in our country, the government should give assurance to provide the basic amenities to the lower strata of our society. There should be an equal distribution of wealth. More work opportunities need to be generated to give fair employment to the poor. The various NGOs across the nation should come forward and provide vocational training to these people in order to jobs or to make them self-employed. 

This lower stratum of our society should understand and believe in the importance of education. The government and the NGOs should reach out to such people to raise awareness and initiate free education for all children between the age group of 6-14 years. The parents must be encouraged to send their children to schools instead of work. 

Educated and affluent citizens can come forward and contribute to the upliftment of this class of society. They should spread the message about the harmful effects of child labour. Schools and colleges can come up with innovative teaching programmes for poor children. Offices and private and government institutions should offer free education to the children of their staff. 

Moreover, awareness of family planning needs to be created among these people. The NGOs and the government must educate them about family planning measures. This will help the family to reduce the burden of feeding too many mouths.

Child Labour is a Crime 

Despite the strict law about child labour being a crime, it is still widely prevalent in India and many other countries worldwide. Greedy and crooked employers also lack awareness of human rights and government policies among the people below poverty. 

Children in certain mining operations and industries are a cheap source of labour, and the employers get away with it because of corruption in the bureaucracy. Sometimes low-income families may also ignore basic human rights and send their children to earn extra money. It is a systemic problem that needs to be solved by addressing issues at many levels. 

However, to protect young children from such exploitation, the Indian government has come up with a set of punishments. Any person who hires a child younger than 14, or a child between the ages of 14 and 18 in a dangerous job, they are liable to be imprisoned for a term of 6 months-2 years and/or a monetary penalty ranging between Rs.20,000 and Rs.80,000.

Eradicating Child Labour 

Eradication of child labour will require support from multiple aspects of society. The government programs and government agents can only go so far with their efforts. Sometimes, poor and uneducated families would be reluctant to let go of their familiar ways even when better opportunities are provided.

That’s when normal citizens and volunteers need to step up for support. NGOs supported by well-meaning citizens will have to ensure that the government policies are strictly enforced, and all forms of corruption are brought to light.  

Education drives and workshops for the poor section of the economy need to help raise awareness. Parents need to understand the long-term benefits of education for their children. It can help in developing the quality of life and the potential to rise out of poverty.

The harmful consequences of child labour mentally and physically on the children need to be taught in the workshops. Government petitions can also encourage schooling for younger children by offering nutritious meals and other benefits. 

Education about family planning is also critical in helping to control the population. When low-income families have more children, they are also inclined to send them for work to help float the household. Having fewer children means that they are valued, and parents focus on providing for their nourishment, education, and long-term well-being. 

Having fewer kids also makes them precious, and parents will not send them to hazardous working environments in fear of permanent injury or death. The government should introduce incentives for families with one or two children to encourage poorer families to have fewer children and reap the benefits while providing a good life.

Government Policies

The Indian Government enacted many laws to protect child rights, namely the Child and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986, the Factories Act, 1948, the Mines Act, 1952, the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. 

As per the Child Labour Act (Prohibition and Regulation), 1986, children under the age of fourteen years old could not be employed in hazardous occupations. This act also attempts to regulate working conditions in the jobs that it permits and emphasizes health and safety standards. 

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 mandates free and compulsory education to all children between the age group of 6 to 14 years old. 

A nation full of poverty-ridden children cannot make progress. It should be the collective responsibility of society and the government to provide these impoverished children with a healthy and conducive environment, which will help them to develop their innate capabilities and their skills effectively.

FAQs on Child Labour Essay

Q1. What do you understand by Child Labour?

Child Labour means the employment of children in any kind of work that impedes their physical and mental development, deprives them of their basic educational and recreational requirements.

Q2. What factors lead to Child Labour?

Poverty, illiteracy, no family control lead to Child Labour. Even the growth of industrialization and urbanization play a major role in the Child Labour. The exploitation of poor people by unethical employers on account of failing to pay their loans or debts, lead to child labour.

Q3. What measures should be taken to eradicate Child Labour?

The government, NGOs should raise awareness about family control measures among the weaker section of the society. The government should provide free amenities and education to children between the age group of 6-14 years. The government should generate more employment opportunities for them. The schools and colleges can come up with innovative teaching programs for them.

Q4. Which policy has banned the employment of Children?

 The Child and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986 has banned the employment of children under the age of 14 years.

Q5. What are the causes of child labour? 

Child labour is mainly caused by poverty in families from the underprivileged section of the economy. Poor and uneducated parents send children to work under unsupervised and often dangerous conditions. They do not realise the damage it causes for children in the long run. Child labour is also caused by the exploitation of poor people by crooked employers. The problem is also fueled by corruption at the bureaucratic level, which ignores worker and human rights violations.

Q6. How to prevent child labour? 

Child labour can be prevented by education programs supported by the government and also NGOs. Volunteers have educated low-income families about the dangers of child labour and the benefits of education. Government laws should be reformed and enforced more rigorously to punish people who employ underage children.

Q7. What are the types of child labour?

There are mainly four types of child labour: 

Domestic child labourers:   These are children (mostly girls) who wealthy families employ to do the household chores.

Industrial child labourers:   Children are made to work in factories, mines, plantations, or small-scale industries. 

Debt Bondage:   Some children are forced to work as debt labourers to clear the inherited debts of their families. 

Child Trafficking:   Child trafficking is when orphaned or kidnapped children are sold for money. They are exploited the most without regard for their well-being.