The Elimination Of Child Labour: Whose Responsibility?

Introduction:
Child refers to the age between birth and puberty. The term child labour is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity and that is harmful to physical and mental development. Child labour takes place when children are forced to work at an age when they are expected to work, study and enjoy their phase of innocence. It implies lost or deprived childhood that leads to the exploitation of children in various forms: mental, physical, social, sexual and so on. According to facts & statistics, 218 million children are in employment; among them 152 million are victims of child labour almost half 73 million work in hazardous conditions.

Causes and Prevention of Child labour:
The facts about child labour show that it is a far-reaching problem, especially for children living in poverty around the world. Because children don’t have a voice or a platform, they are extra vulnerable to those who are looking to abuse them. According to research, 152 million children worldwide are victims of child labour; 88 million are boys and 64 million are girls. 48 percent of all victims of child labor are aged between 5-11 years. Despite constitutional provisions against child labour, a large number of children continue to be exploited under hazardous work conditions. Poorly paid for long hours of work, they have to abandon their studies to support their family at an age when they are supposed to just play around and have fun. They are made to forego all the joys of childhood by a cruel and ruthless world. Poverty, social inequality and lack of education are among is the main cause of child labour. According to a UNICEF report, in rural and impoverished parts of the world, children have no real and meaningful alternative as schools. Child labour inflicts damage to a child’s physical and mental health. A child labourer has no basic rights to education, development, and freedom. Children employed as labourers work in unsafe environments where there is a constant danger of fatal accidents. They are forced to lead a life of poverty, illiteracy, and deprivation. There are various laws for the enactment of the Child Labour but are not implemented yet. None of the children below 14 years shall not be employed in any kind of hazardous employment. Ending child labour and exploitation requires working with partners. UNICEF works closely with Alliance 8.7 that was formed to support the achievement of the target to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

Conclusion:
Child labour is a curse to our society and also to the whole world. We need to be free from this curse by eradicating child labour. Generally, the child of poor families work as Child labour. So, there must be more employment among poor people. The govt. should provide more jobs. By reducing poverty, supplying food in those rural and poor families we can eradicate the child labour. Every citizen should take a pledge to never employ child labourer, rather discourage others too from doing so. We should create awareness amongst people employing child labourers and the parents sending their children to work. Above all, there must be mobilize public opinion with an aim to bring about an effective policy initiative to abolish child labour in all its forms.