The Curse of Child Labour

Child labour has fallen by 38% in the last decade, but 152 million youngsters are still impacted, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made matters worse. Child labour is prevalent in many parts of the world, and it occurs in a variety of industries, with negative educational, physiological, and psychological consequences for children. Poverty, armed conflict, insufficient rules and regulations, social inequality, prejudice, and deep cultural traditions are only a few of the factors that contribute to child labour.

Defining child labour :-

Child labour does not include all sorts of employment performed by youngsters. This varies by country and is determined by the child's age, the sort of job performed, the number of hours worked, the working circumstances, and whether or not the work interferes with their education. There are activities that children can participate in that are beneficial to their development and provide them with skills and experience in order to prepare them for adulthood, such as helping their family around the house or assisting in a family business to earn an allowance during the school holidays (ILO)

Worst forms of child labour :-

• Child trafficking

• Sexual exploitation (which includes pornography and prostitution)

• Drug trafficking

• Debt bondage

• Slavery

• Forced labour

• Organized child begging

Global estimates of child labour :-

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 160 million youngsters were working as of the beginning of 2020, with 97 million boys and 63 million girls. 79 million youngsters out of 160 million were working in hazardous conditions (ILO, 2020).

According to a 2019 ILO report, child labour affects about 9 out of 10 children in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Africa is the continent with the greatest rate of child labour, with one out of every five children employed (Thevenon & Edmonds, 2019).

Child labour progress is still inconsistent around the world. Child labour affects 72 million children in Africa and 62 million children in Asia and the Pacific. 70% of children working in child labour around the world are employed in the agricultural sector, primarily in livestock herding and subsistence and commercial farming.

Effects of child labour :-

Child labour can have a variety of mental and physical health repercussions on a child that can last into adulthood. These effects can range from abuse, bruises, hunger, tiredness, psychological injury, or chemical exposure, to name a few. The mental and physical repercussions differ depending on the industry in which youngsters work.

Child labour and education :-

Poverty, which is the primary cause of child labour, causes children to work and drop out of school early. One-third of children involved in child labour are excluded from school globally, and there is a clear link between a kid's involvement in hazardous job and low school attendance.

Children are forced to work and drop out of school as a result of poverty, which is the primary cause of child labour. One-third of children engaging in child labour are unable to attend school, and there is a definite correlation between a child's involvement in a dangerous work and low school attendance.

As of 2020, 15.5 percent of children aged 5 to 14 years old in Latin America and the Caribbean, 28.1 percent in Northern Africa and Western Asia, 28.1 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, 35.3 percent in Central and Southern Asia, and 37.2 percent in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia do not attend school.

Eliminating and preventing child labour :-

Despite global progress in reducing child labour, the ambitious goal of abolishing the practise by 2025 has yet to be fulfilled. The solution to this recurrent problem must be comprehensive, intersectoral, and backed by legislation that can be implemented. Minimum working age regulations, in particular, and their enforcement, are a critical component of child labour remedies.

Beyond legal and regulatory frameworks, governments and civil society must collaborate to devise and execute policies that provide alternative livelihoods for families and children, allowing them to avoid the traps of child labour. Children must be at the centre of all decision-making processes, and any useful interventions must be available to the children themselves.

More research and public awareness efforts are needed to take the battle against child labour to the next level. Governments all around the world must recognise the magnitude of the problem, its evolution, and the manner in which it affects families and children.