STOP CHILD LABOUR OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE PUNISHED
As per UNICEF child labour means exceeding the time limit of the work based on conditions like age and the work employed. Work that overshadows these norms is considered to be illegal.
Children with an age limit of five to eleven years are eligible to work for one hour on wages and for 28 per week of domestic work. All those ranging between 12 to 14 years of age can work only for fourteen hours per week on paid basis. Children with 15 to 17 years of age are allowed to work for forty three hours a week. One out of six children is engaged in child labour. In India as per the statistics by the government and other agencies it varies from 20 million to 50 million. It is more dominant in northern India.
Where children are forced to work at low wages and parents lose their child for the younger sibling. Innumerable laws have made to stop child labour which includes Indian constitution law of 1986 making it a crime and children below the fourteen years of age prohibited from working. In Kenya the age limit is sixteen years of age which excludes agriculture and domestic work separated from the child labour.
The main concern is with the children working in harmful and hazardous places such as tobacco, chemical, mines and glass factories. Sometimes they have to work day and night keeping themselves confined within the boundary walls. What is outside world like? They have no clues to it! Apart from all this one can easily see them working in households as servants. Cleaning and coping with the domestic work in the house where so called educated and literate people reside. We all need to be aware and raise a voice where ever you see child labour happening be it your college canteen or neighbourhood. One voice raised alone can lead to many changes.
These children belong to the slums and poor households be it urban or rural areas. They are supposed to share the financial burden along their parents to run their livelihood. A number of children are often accused of exploitation in all modes. The weaker sex that is girl child are more prone to abuse and exploitation. Behind the term child labour they not only lose their childhood but also the basic and higher education. All the moral, mental and physical development gets hampered. Almost everyone is against the child labour even those who practice this!
If this is put to an end it might increase further the poverty situation. The wages they are getting out the work is serving their basic needs. If something is wrong is then it is the exceeding and exploitation of laws made for protecting the child from exploitation. Out of cheap labour rates people opt for small children to work for them. A time out of poor family condition they are forced to work. Child trafficking has also added to the child labour.
There are many black sheep’s in the society because of whom the laws are not implemented the way they should have been. Furthermore the ignorant and illiterate parents who are unaware of the consequences of child labour. Day by day rising economic needs and growing population adds more to it. If we actually want to stop the child labour we need to implement all law properly.
The basic free education should be made compulsory and we need to insure it again and again. Right to education should become an actual right. We cannot let the futures of nation- the children fighting and struggling with society merely for their lives.
This Diwali hold hand of one child and enlighten his life. If we cannot take big steps let’s start with the small ones. This is the drastic change we need to join hands together for. Say no to child labour.
As per UNICEF child labour means exceeding the time limit of the work based on conditions like age and the work employed. Work that overshadows these norms is considered to be illegal.
Children with an age limit of five to eleven years are eligible to work for one hour on wages and for 28 per week of domestic work. All those ranging between 12 to 14 years of age can work only for fourteen hours per week on paid basis. Children with 15 to 17 years of age are allowed to work for forty three hours a week. One out of six children is engaged in child labour. In India as per the statistics by the government and other agencies it varies from 20 million to 50 million. It is more dominant in northern India.
Where children are forced to work at low wages and parents lose their child for the younger sibling. Innumerable laws have made to stop child labour which includes Indian constitution law of 1986 making it a crime and children below the fourteen years of age prohibited from working. In Kenya the age limit is sixteen years of age which excludes agriculture and domestic work separated from the child labour.
The main concern is with the children working in harmful and hazardous places such as tobacco, chemical, mines and glass factories. Sometimes they have to work day and night keeping themselves confined within the boundary walls. What is outside world like? They have no clues to it! Apart from all this one can easily see them working in households as servants. Cleaning and coping with the domestic work in the house where so called educated and literate people reside. We all need to be aware and raise a voice where ever you see child labour happening be it your college canteen or neighbourhood. One voice raised alone can lead to many changes.
These children belong to the slums and poor households be it urban or rural areas. They are supposed to share the financial burden along their parents to run their livelihood. A number of children are often accused of exploitation in all modes. The weaker sex that is girl child are more prone to abuse and exploitation. Behind the term child labour they not only lose their childhood but also the basic and higher education. All the moral, mental and physical development gets hampered. Almost everyone is against the child labour even those who practice this!
If this is put to an end it might increase further the poverty situation. The wages they are getting out the work is serving their basic needs. If something is wrong is then it is the exceeding and exploitation of laws made for protecting the child from exploitation. Out of cheap labour rates people opt for small children to work for them. A time out of poor family condition they are forced to work. Child trafficking has also added to the child labour.
There are many black sheep’s in the society because of whom the laws are not implemented the way they should have been. Furthermore the ignorant and illiterate parents who are unaware of the consequences of child labour. Day by day rising economic needs and growing population adds more to it. If we actually want to stop the child labour we need to implement all law properly.
The basic free education should be made compulsory and we need to insure it again and again. Right to education should become an actual right. We cannot let the futures of nation- the children fighting and struggling with society merely for their lives.
This Diwali hold hand of one child and enlighten his life. If we cannot take big steps let’s start with the small ones. This is the drastic change we need to join hands together for. Say no to child labour.
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