What is child labour?



The work that snatches the childhood from the children
is called the curse of a child, which is also known as child labour. Instead of
going to school, children are now going to their workplaces to do their job.
Instead of getting ready for the school, children are now getting ready in the
early morning to go to their workplaces. Without holding the books for study,
they are holding the responsibility to earn money. Every day lots of children sacrifice
their Childhood by engaging the laborious work to earn money for their
families. Instead of enjoying childhood, they undesirably busy to earn money for saving the lives of themselves and their
family members.




Children are involved in many kinds of work. Such as
some children are helping their parents or their elders in the home, earning
pocket money during school holidays and besides school hours, etc. These kinds
of works do not affect their mental or physical health, personal development,
or interfere with their schooling. These things are essential for their
improvement, and they become experienced. Participation in
decent work which does not affect their health, personal development or
education can be a very positive experience for children. These kinds of work should not be considered as child
labour.  However, when a work deprives
the children of their potential, dignity, and their childhood, harms their
physical and mental health, interferes with their schooling is considered as
child labour.



Child labour can be
considered as disasters:



Child labour refers to the exploitation of the
children through any form of work that is harmful to their mental growth and
affects them physically, socially, and morally. Two hundred eighteen millions
of children aged between 5 to 17 years are involved in many kinds of work
globally. Among them, around 152millions of the children are the victims of
child labour. According to the International Labour Organization, among 152
millions of child labour, 88millions are boys, and 64 million are girls. Seventy-three
millions of them work in hazardous child labour. Where half of the victims
around 72.1million children are found in Africa, 62.1millions found in Asia and
the Pacific and others are found in America, Arab states, Europe, and Central
Asia. In terms of Predominance, 1 in every 5 children is the victim of child
labour in Africa.



Child labour is an outcome of many different
circumstances, such as poverty, lack of work opportunities for the grown-ups,
hunger, underdeveloped society, lack of education, migration, etc. Child labourers
work in various sectors, including fishing, agriculture, mining, domestic
service, etc. Domestic Labourers are usually called "hidden", and it
is very tough to find them.



1 in every 8 children, approximately 179 million
children is trapped in the worst forms of child labour. The children aged
between 15 to 17 years old are mostly involved with hazardous child labour
which includes child prostitution, illegal activities such as drug trafficking.
These kinds of activities strongly affect the physical and mental health of the
child and their moral well being.



Child labour problem in India:



Millions of Indian boys and girls are going to work
every day in the agricultural field, factories, selling cigarettes or flowers on
the road, etc. According to the International Labour Organization,
Approximately 12.9 million Indian Children are involved in work.  These children work up to 16 hours a day to
help their family though they are underpaid.



In India, 20 per cent of the Child labourers involved
in the hazardous industries aged between 15 to 17 years. However, determining the
exact number of child labourers in India is extremely difficult as it is often
hidden. Around 18 million of children in India neither associated in employment
nor school. They are regarded as "inactive" in India.



According to the International labour organization,
most of the child labourers are found in agricultural sectors, including cotton
plantation and rice fields. Some children are work in the restaurants and
industrial sectors. Some Children are also worked in cheap labourers in
industries such as steel extraction, gem polishing, and carpet production. On
the other hand, a large number of girls become the victims the child
trafficking in India. Around 1.2 million girl children are involved in
prostitution in our motherland.



The reason behind increasing
the Child Labour problems in India:



More than a third of all Indians still live below the
poverty line. Development in the IT sectors or technical innovations can't be
able to provide jobs in the poverty-stricken regions. People from rural areas
with little education have faced lots of financial obstacles, as a result, they
have to take their children out of school and put them into work to help their
family. Due to the terrible situation of some families, children are sold by
their parents to the traffickers. These children are misused by the Traffickers
and forced to do some works with low wages, and they usually become the victims
of child pornography, slavery, beggary, drug traffickers, and many more. And the
problem is increasing day by day, globally.



Conclusion:



As it is discussed earlier, the lack of education,
poverty, lack of employment is the main reasons behind the child labour
problem. The government should take action to destroy the problems of child
labours such as spread awareness in the rural areas where people are not
developed yet. Proper education should be given to people. The child labour
obstacles will be discontinued only if people get the proper education and know
the terrible consequences behind it.



  



Reference