child labour
CHILD LABOUR
Introduction
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) a new generation of children is being deprived of the chance to take their rightful place in the society and economy of the 21st Century. The ILO has proposed that ‘child labour’ will disappear in a decade. If this happens well and good. But in reality the situation is worsening. One in eight children in the world is exposed to the worst forms of child labour which endanger children’s physical, mental health and moral well being.
The problem
In many countries children lives are plagued by armed conflict, child labour, sexual exploitation and other human rights violations. Children living in rural areas have fewer opportunities to obtain good quality education. They have less access to services than children living in cities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) (Article 38) has explicitly prohibited person under age 18 being recruited into the armed forces or direct participating in hostility. In spite of this special provision under CRC, many countries still involve children below 18 years in hostilities.
Child labour keeps children out of school and is a major barrier to development. To make the anti child labour law a reality, poverty and unemployment need to be eliminated. Unless the standard of living improves at the lower levels of the society, children will be forced to work. Many middle and upper class families do not hesitate to engage young boys and girls to help them with household cores. The middle class family feels by employing a child below 14 years they are helping poor families to increase their earnings for daily livelihood.
Age of the Child.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child article (i) defines “The child as every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier”.
The Indian Penal Court (IPC) defines the child as being 12 years of age.
Introduction
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) a new generation of children is being deprived of the chance to take their rightful place in the society and economy of the 21st Century. The ILO has proposed that ‘child labour’ will disappear in a decade. If this happens well and good. But in reality the situation is worsening. One in eight children in the world is exposed to the worst forms of child labour which endanger children’s physical, mental health and moral well being.
The problem
In many countries children lives are plagued by armed conflict, child labour, sexual exploitation and other human rights violations. Children living in rural areas have fewer opportunities to obtain good quality education. They have less access to services than children living in cities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) (Article 38) has explicitly prohibited person under age 18 being recruited into the armed forces or direct participating in hostility. In spite of this special provision under CRC, many countries still involve children below 18 years in hostilities.
Child labour keeps children out of school and is a major barrier to development. To make the anti child labour law a reality, poverty and unemployment need to be eliminated. Unless the standard of living improves at the lower levels of the society, children will be forced to work. Many middle and upper class families do not hesitate to engage young boys and girls to help them with household cores. The middle class family feels by employing a child below 14 years they are helping poor families to increase their earnings for daily livelihood.
Age of the Child.
According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child article (i) defines “The child as every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier”.
The Indian Penal Court (IPC) defines the child as being 12 years of age.
References: 1. International Labour Organisation Report 1995 2. Human Rights Watch 1996 3. Constitution of India 4. World Bank report 1995 5. Sense of India 1981 6. Child Labour Act 1986/2002 7. Paper on child labour in India – Causes by Mitesh Badiwada 8. UN convention on rights of child report – 1992