Child Labour!

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Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability
to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is
prohibited by legislation worldwide, although these laws do not consider all work by children as child
labour; exceptions include work by child artists, family duties, supervised training, and some forms of
work undertaken by Amish children, as well as by Indigenous children in the Americas.

Child labour has existed to varying extents throughout history. During the 19th and early 20th
centuries, many children aged 5–14 from poorer families worked in Western nations and their
colonies alike. These children mainly worked in agriculture, home-based assembly operations,
factories, mining, and services such as news boys – some worked night shifts lasting 12 hours. With
the rise of household income, availability of schools and passage of child labour laws, the incidence
rates of child labour fell.

As of 2023, in the world's poorest countries, around one in five children are engaged in child labour,
the highest number of whom live in sub-saharan Africa, where more than one in four children are so
engaged. This represents a decline in child labour over the preceding half decade. In 2017, four
African nations (Mali, Benin, Chad and Guinea-Bissau) witnessed over 50 per cent of children aged 5–
14 working. Worldwide agriculture is the largest employer of child labour. The vast majority of child
labour is found in rural settings and informal urban economies; children are predominantly employed
by their parents, rather than factories. Poverty and lack of schools are considered the primary cause
of child labour. UNICEF notes that "boys and girls are equally likely to be involved in child labour", but
in different roles, girls being substantially more likely to perform unpaid household labour.

Globally the incidence of child labour decreased from 25% to 10% between 1960 and 2003,
according to the World Bank. Nevertheless, the total number of child labourers remains high, with
UNICEF and ILO acknowledging an estimated 168 million children aged 5–17 worldwide were
involved in child labour in 2013

In 2015, the country of India is home to the largest number of children who are working illegally in
various industrial industries. Agriculture in India is the largest sector where many children work at
early ages to help support their family.[91] Many of these children are forced to work at young ages
due to many family factors such as unemployment, large families, poverty, and lack of parental
education. This is often the major cause of the high rate of child labour in India.[90]

On 23 June 1757, the English East India Company defeated Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal, in
the Battle of Plassey. The British thus became masters of east India (Bengal, Bihar, Orissa) – a
prosperous region with a flourishing agriculture, industry and trade.[93] This led to many children
being forced into labour due to the increasing need of cheap labour to produce large numbers of
goods. Many multinationals often employed children because that they can be recruited for less pay,
and have more endurance to utilise in factory environments.[105] Another reason many Indian
children were hired was because they lack knowledge of their basic rights, they did not cause trouble
or complain, and they were often more trustworthy. The innocence that comes with childhood was
utilised to make a profit by many and was encouraged by the need for family income

Due to the increase of regulations and legal restrictions on child labour, there has been a 64 per cent
decline in child labour from 1993 to 2005.[107] Although this is a great decrease in the country of
India, there is still high numbers of children working in the rural areas of India. With 85 per cent of
the child labour occurring in rural areas, and 15 per cent occurring in urban areas, there are still
substantial areas of concern in the country of India.[107]

India has legislation since 1986 which allows work by children in non-hazardous industry. In 2013, the
Punjab and Haryana High Court gave a landmark order that directed that there shall be a total ban on
the employment of children up to the age of 14 years, be it hazardous or non-hazardous industries.
However, the Court ruled that a child can work with his or her family in family based
trades/occupations, for the purpose of learning a new trade/craftsmanship or vocation

ilo

The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their
potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work
that:

 is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or

 interferes with their schooling by: depriving them of the opportunity to attend
school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine
school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

Whether or not particular forms of “work” can be called “child labour” depends on the child’s age,
the type and hours of work performed, the conditions under which it is performed and the
objectives pursued by individual countries. The answer varies from country to country, as well as
among sectors within countries.

Unicef

Child labour remains a persistent problem in the world today. The latest global estimates indicate
that some 160 million children were engaged in child labour at the beginning of 2020 – accounting
for nearly 1 in 10 children globally.

Nearly half of all children engaged in child labour – 79 million – are in hazardous work that directly
endangers their health and safety.

Child labour is most prevalent in low-income countries, yet more than half of all child labour occurs
in middle-income countries.
Globally, child labour is also more common in rural areas, with most child labour taking place in the
agriculture sector.

Roughly 63 million girls and 97 million boys worldwide are estimated to be in child labour, according
to the latest data from early 2020. The gender gap grows with age, and boys are about twice as likely
as girls to be in child labour by their mid-teens (15 to 17 years old).

But these comparisons come with a caveat: The definition of child labour does not include household
chores in children’s own homes, where girls shoulder a disproportionate burden of this work across
most societies. When child labour is expanded to include household chores for 21 hours or more
each week, the gender gap shrinks by almost half.

Stop child labour

According to estimates by the International Labour Organisation (2017), there are 152 million
children, aged between 5 and 17, subject to child labour.

 Almost 1 in 10 children between the age of 5 and 17 years old have to work

 About 4.3 million children aged below 18 years are in forced labour

 70.9% works in agriculture

 17.2% in the service sector

 11.9% in heavy industry

 Most child labour takes place in the informal sector

 Nearly 70% of the children does unpaid work supporting their family

Together we can stop child labour

By no longer accepting it, not in mines, not on fields, not in factories, not in domestic settings and
not in the products we buy…

Child labour is a global problem that requires a global solution. In India, Africa and Latin America,
local authorities, teachers, employers, parents and children in child labour free zones work together
to get children out of work and into school. They are all convinced that no child should be working:
every child should be in school. These child labour free zones are successful and are continuing to
spread to other areas and countries.

But real change requires more. This is why we call on governments, businesses and consumers
worldwide to shoulder their responsibility. And work together towards a child labour free world.

Child labour exists because:

children’s rights are not respected;

governments do not provide compulsory, free and accessible education;

international agreements and conventions are not observed;

the education system excludes poor and vulnerable children;

consumers worldwide demand cheap products;

employers can benefit from cheap labour;

there is no decent work for adults;

we have not done enough to stop it.

Indian Gov

Evidence drawn from the National Sample Survey data suggest that India’s

child workforce during 2004-05 was estimated at little over nine million (9.07

million) as against twenty-one and half million (21.55 million) in 1983.

36.43 lakh children in the

age group of 5-14 years are working in non-agricultural sector in the country,

out of which 12.19 lakh children are working in hazardous occupations.

Government Initiatives

Legislation, Policy, Programmes and other Interventions

4.1 The Constitutional guarantees are reflected in the policies, plans, laws and

schemes on child labour. As per Article 24 of the Constitution, no child below the
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age of 14 years is to be employed in any factory, mine or any hazardous

employment. Further, Article 39 requires the States to direct its policy towards

ensuring that the tender age of children is not abused and that they are not

forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or

strength. Recently, with the insertion of Article 21A, the State has been

entrusted with the task of providing free and compulsory education to all the

children in the age group of 6-14 years.