Essay on The issue of Child Labour: What to do for Class 10, 12, Mains Exam (UPSC, PSC, SSC)
The exploitation of children by means of any kind of work that deprives them of their childhood and prohibits their ability to attend schools is called child labour. Such kind of work are harmful for their physical and mental health and stops their moral and mental development. Such exploitation is vehemently opposed by the legislation worldwide. In the 19th and the early 20th centuries children from poor families worked in Western countries. They worked as labours in farming fields, mines and factories. In the sub–Saharan African countries about 50 % children between 5-14 years age worked as labours in 2017. The worst types of child labours are slavery, trafficking of children and prostitution.
Causes of child labour:
The underlying causes of child labour are discussed below:
a) Poverty and unemployment
According to the statistics of United Nations (2005), more than one-fourth of the world’s population lives in poverty. The poor families end on depend on their children for financial help in order to afford the basic necessities. Parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America have many children working as labourers.
b) Limited access to free and compulsory education: Even though many laws have been introduced to provide free and compulsory education, many poor children of remote areas of the world do not have access to it. Hence, they remain deprived.
c) Natural calamities and climatic change: Families living in rural areas depend on agriculture for their living. Due to natural calamities such as draught or floods their farming is hampered. They struggle to make their living and children of such families are forced to work as labourers.
d) Mass migration: According to the International Labour Organization, children comprise of half the total number of people displaced due to wars and conflicts. In such cases there is economic breakdown in the family and so the children work as labourers.
e) Inadequate enforcement of child labour laws: Child labour laws often include exemptions such as working as servant or maid in domestic work and working as agricultural labourers. Besides this, certain laws are not properly enforced. Inadequate staffs in labour inspection offices cannot make the laws enforceable.
Issues of child labour:
Children are the future generations of every nation so their moral, mental and physical development shall be the top most priority of every country. Sadly, child labour devours children across the world. 186 million children worldwide work as labourers. Child labour is still prevalent in India despite that fact that government provides free and compulsory education to children from 6 -14 years age. Child labourers are paid pittance after they are made to work for 10-12 hours. They work in brick kilns near furnaces having temperature of 1400 degree. They also work in glass blowing units where they get affected by lung disorders. Many of the labourers are malnourished, wear tattered clothes and suffer from scabies, asthma, tuberculosis, backaches, ear and eye diseases. In Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, child laborers suffer from mental disorders. In Morocco 200 children work as labourers in handicraft industry and in Lebanese children aged 10-17 work in small scale industries. Asia and Africa have the highest number of child labourers as compared to the other continents.
Remedies to solve Child labour issue:
Article 24 of Indian Constitution states that no child under 14 years age shall be employed in any hazardous activity and Article 39 of the Indian constitution states that youth and childhood should be protected against moral abandonment.The Right to Education Act 2009, guarantees free and compulsory education to all children between 6-14 of years. This can solve the problem of employing child as labourers in factories, mines and domestic help. The government however believes that it is not possible to completely eradicate child labour. So, it has tried to reduce the working hours, fixed minimum wages, and provide health care facilities to the child labourers. In India, glass making factories of Firozabad, diamond cutting industry in Surat, carpet weaving industry in Mirzapur were taken in view as areas that have employed child as labourers. A National Authority was set up in 1993 by the union government to eradicate child labour in hazardous industries. The plan also aimed to send these child labourers to school and provided additional benefits to their families for their economic well-being.
Conclusion:
It is high time for the complete eradication of child labour in the world. The government have to be more vigilant in this matter in safeguarding the moral and physical welfare of the child.It is the future generation- the children who can bring about progress in the country in all aspects. Ergo, the issue of child labour has to be swiped away if the nation wants to advance triumphantly.
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