It is Crying Need to Stop Child Labour

by S. M. Mostak Ahmed
May 20, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/733/it-is-crying-need-to-stop-child-labour

Child labour is not a new issue at the present world. Child labour is seen on street more frequently in many countries especially in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The government of Bangladesh or India has not taken proper steps to solve this problem. Some NGOs are trying to overcome this situation, but they are not able to create opportunities for the child labour. Poverty is an important factor for children labour. More than 200 million children in the world today are involved in child labour. Children work because of their survival and as well as their families. Nearly three-quarters of working children are engaged in the worst forms of child labour including trafficking, armed conflict, slavery, sexual exploitation and hazardous work.

Child labour in poor or developing countries is a major problem now. It is a great hindrance for development. A large number of children are engaged in various types of economical activities instead of going to school. Child labour is one of the most critical issues of Bangladesh. Whenever we discuss about child labour we should consider the existing poverty. Approximately six million children of the 5-14 age group are engaged in various kinds of economic activities in Bangladesh. These children are working in manufacturing factories, engineering workshops, transport sector, tanneries, construction sector, beedi factories, hotels and restaurants, selling flowers, garment factories, maids and domestic servants and also in agricultural sector.

It is assumed that child labour is a part of an anti social crime cycle. Poverty is the main cause as well as the main consequence of it. There are direct link among child labour, poverty, crime and education. Most of the street children come form poor or broken families. They are bound to engage in child labour for their survival. Most of them not get educational facilities and some of them involve social crime such as drug carrying, drug addiction, stealing, snatching etc. Drug traffickers and arms sellers use vagabond children for their business because such kinds of business using children have some extra facilities. Children can perform such acts in short and safe.

Nowadays child labour is increasing in different sectors but most of the child labour do not get minimum facilities to live. The most hazardous forms of child labour are child sex trade and forced or bounded labourious work. There are many reasons for increasing hazardous child labour such as poverty, natural calamities, lack of access to education, lack of awareness, and poor implementation of labour laws. Child labour are shown in rural or slums areas in general. These child labourers do not get minimum facilities or guidance to improve their poor condition. They often grow up with a vulnerable situation that makes them to involve various criminal activities.

Child labour is still common in Nepal where the numbers of school going children are very low. Millions of Nepali children are employed by their parents in household works to help them all day long instead of attending school and getting education. Many children work in factories such as metal workshop, carpet factories, garments or in big factories, mining or quarrying, agriculture, helping their parents' small business such as selling candy, flower, food, or doing odd jobs. Some children work as guides for tourists. Sometimes they work for bringing goods for shops and restaurants. There are some children who are forced to do tedious and repetitive jobs such as assembling boxes or polishing shoes.

Child labour in India is also increasing in different sectors to income but if we see most of the child labourers do not get minimum facilities to live. The worst forms of child labour are child prostitution, pornography and forced or bounded to engage in laborious works. They are also bounded to engage such laborious work because of poverty, natural calamities, deprivation of basic needs like education, lack of awareness and poor implementation of labour laws.

Government should take necessary steps to solve this problem. Not only government but also NGOs should come forward to solve this problem. The child labour laws should be followed strictly. The concerned authority should take the rehabilitation of child labour. A research taken by a lead NGOs in Bangladesh "Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation" has found that two thirds of the street children engage in child labour only for living. Social researcher Mohammad Khairul Alam said, "This problem can be solved through broad social changing awareness and rehabilitation. An isolated activity cannot bring effective results to remove such curse from the society. The government and NGOs should take collaboration programs."

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