Child labor

Introduction : The first stage of human life is childhood. And childhood is one of the chapters of human life. Although a child seems to be dependent on the direct view, but the future of a country is built on the children of that country. So there is a proverb in English "today's child is tomorrow's citizen". But unfortunately not every child gets basic facilities, education etc. They are subjected to various abuses. And one of those abuses is child labor.

Definition of Child Labou : Any work that takes away a child's dignity, potential and most importantly his childhood is called child labour. or any work which interferes with the physical and mental development of a child is called child labour. According to government guidelines in our country, children below the age of 14 years are considered as children. Therefore taking work or labor from a child below 14 years anywhere is considered as child labour.

Causes of child labou : Economic, family and personal factors are observed among the reasons for children entering the workforce. A major part of our country is the poor class. Hence family dysfunction, poverty and premature death of an earning member force a child to engage in work at an early age. In various cases ignorance of child's family education, lust for money, brutal behavior of parents force a child to become a labourer. Moreover, due to social upheaval, communalism and various other reasons, children are engaged in labor at an early age.

Negative effects of child labou : Child labor is an inhuman act. It is not at all desirable to rob a child of his childhood by forcing him to work while he is actually growing up. Child labor has negative effects on both physical and mental aspects of a child. On the one hand he has to get sick due to working in unsuitable environment and on the other hand they suffer from malnutrition and anemia due to lack of proper food and rest. And the child's mind is burdened with work pressure and they break down in the first stage of life. As a result, a child's future is bleak. Child labor has become a global problem these days. What has become worse during the Corona period. According to the United Nations Charter on the Rights of the Child and the Constitution of Bangladesh, all Bangladeshis under the age of 18 are considered children. According to the Bangladesh National Labor Act 2006, if children under the age of 14 years are employed, it will be considered as child labour. According to the United Nations, child labor has increased significantly during the Corona period. According to a report jointly published by the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, the number of child laborers in the world stood at 16 million at the beginning of 2020, which decreased to 94 million between 2000 and 2016. Child labor is on the rise as the poverty rate rises amid the corona virus pandemic. Minor children are going to work to support the family. Due to the closure of educational institutions, their families consider it better to send their children to work instead of keeping them at home. If the Corona situation continues like this, it is feared that in 2022, 9 million more children will be involved in child labour. 70 percent of the children engaged in child labor are engaged in the agricultural sector, while the remaining 20 percent are employed in the service sector and 10 percent in the industrial sector. Child labor is increasing day by day due to lack of proper enforcement of laws. Being able to hire workers at low wages, some self-interested factory owners employ young teenagers for low-paid work. Many people get crippled and even die due to serious injuries in accidents while doing hazardous work. Recently, 52 workers, most of whom were children, died tragically in a terrible fire at Sejan Juice factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj. Due to increase in child labor proper physical and mental development of children is being disrupted. Child labor causes physical harm and psychological stress to children. In childhood children will receive religious instruction and social education but if during that period the child is engaged in hazardous factory work then he will be deprived of moral education. Lack of proper education will cause their morals to deteriorate. Child labor rates are higher in rural than urban areas. The rate of child labor in rural areas is 14 percent compared to 5 percent in urban areas. As most of the villagers are illiterate they are unaware of the harmful aspects of child labour. Child labor is increasing day by day in rural areas due to insufficient knowledge about the need of safe childhood for children to grow up well. At the age when children are supposed to go to school with their bags on their shoulders, they are supposed to be playing sports in the fields, the burden of the world is being placed on their shoulders. We must ensure a safe childhood for our children. An environment should be created so that they can be educated in proper education and become conscious citizens. It should be remembered that the importance of conscious citizens in building a civil society is immense.

Government Acts to Prevent Child Labor Social Responsibility : There are various legal systems in place to free child labor in different countries around the world. Indian government and society have enacted various laws since independence to target the neglected and exploited child laborers. Employment of any child under the age of 14 in factories or hazardous work is illegal and punishable by law in India. Moreover, the government has taken various rules, policies and plans for the development of children. But unfortunately, despite the efforts of the government, child labor in today's society has not been treated as such. Therefore, to eradicate child labor, there is a need to spread education, awareness and social and financial protection of the poor. This requires a public and voluntary social approach.

Conclusion : Child labor is a social problem and malpractice. Therefore, its elimination should be taken as the main responsibility of the government and the society.