Child Labour

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 RECALL JUNE 12: CHILD LABOUR  


Child labour, work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, dignity, and that is destructive to their physical and mental growth. However, children or adolescents who contribute to work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling is not considered as child labour. An example of the same can be when a child is helping his/her parents at home. 


Children who discontinue school due to family indebtedness or are expelled from the school are more prone to child labour. Girls from socially disadvantaged groups are at a higher risk of being forced into child labour. For India, child labour has long term adverse effects. The economy of a country will only prosper when the country will have an educated workforce, skills, technology and the younger generation will be a part of human capital in the future.
If child labour to a huge extent continues then there will be a trade-off with human capital accumulation. Data from a 2011 Census says that the total child population in the age group 5 to 14 years is 259.6 million and that 10.1 million or 3.9 per cent of the total child population are working. Child labour has diminished in rural areas, however, the opposite sides with the urban areas. 

Elimination of child labour demands commitment from the society e.g. family, state, civil society, and those who hire children in any enterprises. Many NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, ChildFund, CARE India, Talaash Association, Child Rights and You, Global march against child labour, RIDE India, Childline, Kailash Satyarthi Children Foundation, etc. have been working to eradicate child labour in India. 

In conclusion, child labour is an ongoing social justice issue that has existed for centuries. It occurs because of inequality and the lack of access to education and other necessities in life. It exists almost everywhere in the globe. Unless governments and large organizations work together to eradicate the inequalities and reasons which cause child labour, unfortunately, till then the issue will remain and take its way ahead and distress the lives of many more children in the future.


- Shivangi Jorra 

  Head of Department Digital and Content, Girl Up Neev

  

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