Child Labor: A Curse on Humanity
Today it is the world day against child labor. Child labor is a practice that we have been unable to eliminate from our society. It still flourishes openly not only in rural areas but in urban areas too. “Child labor perpetuates poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, population growth, and other social problems.” said the Noble prize winner Kailash Satyarthi.
Childhood is an age when you discover, when you are imaginative, it’s the age of exploration, it is the age to study, it is the age to play. But in reality these all facts are valid only for us who are privileged with the best resources in life. There are children whose parents cannot afford to send their children to school, they do not even have the money to provide them with an ample amount of food. These children have to work to earn their and their family’s livelihood. It’s heartbreaking that a child has to miss the most wonderful phase of his life, his childhood.
As per the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, amended in 2016 (“CLPR Act”), a “Child” is defined as any person below the age of 14, and the CLPR Act prohibits employment of a Child in any employment including as domestic help. It is a cognizable criminal offense to employ a Child for any work. Children between the age of 14 and 18 are defined as “Adolescent” and the law allows adolescents to be employed except in the listed hazardous occupation and processes. I feel that the laws should be gentler towards adolescents too. A 14-year-old is also a child, and even he should be able to gain education and live his life with dignity. The United Nations doesn’t believe this, the UNCRC defines the child as an individual less than 18 years of age, and it is something I truly believe in.The International Labour Organisation states in its latest World Report on Child Labour (2013) that there are around 265 million working children in the world—almost 17 percent of the worldwide child population. Though many reports have shown a decline in the number of children indulged in child labor, still is it enough? A total of approximate 22 percentile of children were indulged in child labor in the year 2000, this has decreased to just 17 percent in the year 2012. A notable but then too a very small change. “You can’t regulate child labor. You can’t regulate slavery. Some things are just wrong.” said Michael Moore a filmmaker and a quite famous activist.
Childline India an NGO which has been working for children for a very long time, is one of many NGOs working for a change. Child Rights and You (CRY), Genesis Foundation, Katha, Smile Foundation are some NGOs working for children. Some people are working to improve the condition of children and we should offer them our support. Childline India visits our school every year, they host a very interesting competition, all we need to do is collect money from our locality, that money would then be used in educating and feeding young children who have to live life on their own. There are many different criteria if you collect a certain amount of money you get many different prizes, including autographs of Indian cricket team players! This is a very remarkable initiative to include the whole society is something that is so much needed and advantageous for all!
In the end, I ask you why do you think we have been unable to eradicate child labor? According to me, the only reason is that most of these children aren’t being forced to work by anyone but are so poor that their situation compels them to work. Child labor is an outcome of poverty and illiteracy. It is a vicious cycle, a child indulged in child labor doesn’t gain proper education and knowledge, and so he is incapable to make something out of his life. Then the poverty continues, and even his next generation is forced into child labor. This cycle needs to be broken, poverty, illiteracy, and child labor are one of many important problems the world is facing! On this World Day against child labor let’s stand together, with the government, the NGOs, and believe me we can put an end to this sinful practice called child labor!
A child’s hands are too small to work; they look good holding a pencil!
-Anonymous
Also if you find that any child is being forced into child labor please contact Childline India.
Follow My Instagram Handle @teenagechronicle!
Also if you find that any child is being forced into child labor please contact Childline India.
Follow My Instagram Handle @teenagechronicle!
Astonished to see that there are no comments on an article like this, this article portrays the very true present, and how children are suffering. I have seen that people do not take interest in articles like these which talk about social problems!
True
Extremely true, something which I have noticed as well!
YES!!
💯💯💯💯
Thank you!