Raju Bhattarai
Child labor is the term used to describe the employment of minors in any type of job that robs them of their youth, prevents them from attending a regular school, or is otherwise damaging and dangerous to their mental, physical, social, or moral development. Children from low-income households are frequently seen in villages toiling in the fields or somewhere else to supplement the family’s income. These youngsters are vulnerable to health problems and being denied educational opportunities.
Around 152 million children were working as minors as of my last knowledge update in September 2021, with about half of them doing dangerous jobs, according to estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO). There are many other industries where these kids work, such as manufacturing, services, construction, mining, and agriculture.
Children may be driven into work for various reasons. Most often, child labour occurs when families face financial challenges or uncertainty – whether due to poverty, sudden illness of a caregiver, or job loss of a primary wage earner. Child labor is seen as a custom in some cultures, as kids are taught skills at a young age. These cultural standards sustain the cycle of child exploitation. In order to maintain low costs and large profits, industries that depend on low-cost production frequently use child labor. An environment where businesses can continue to exploit children is created by lax enforcement of child labor laws and insufficient consequences for infractions.
Child labor reduces children’s chances of receiving a quality education, which will limit their options for the future and keep them trapped in a cycle of poverty. Hazardous labor exposes children to physical dangers, such as handling hazardous substances or working in dangerous conditions, which can have long-term health effects. As children who work are deprived of typical childhood activities and are subjected to abuse and exploitation, it can cause psychological discomfort in them. Children who work as laborers have limited earning potential in the future due to a lack of education and skill development, which keeps them stuck in a cycle of poverty.
To end child labor, a large number of governments, non-governmental groups, and international organizations are collaborating. Guidelines for completing child labor and shielding children from its most severe forms are established by the ILO’s Minimum Age Convention and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention. Efforts to increase children’s access to high-quality education and career training break the cycle of child labor. Awareness and Advocacy: Increasing public and political support for the outlawing of child labor is facilitated by increasing awareness of the detrimental effects of the practice. In an effort to promote ethical business practices, several corporations are making efforts to guarantee that there is no child labor in their supply chains.
Child labour continues to be a grave violation of children’s rights and a significant barrier to development. It’s the collective responsibility of governments, organizations, businesses, and society as a whole to work together to ensure that every child is afforded the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive without the burden of exploitative labour.
