According to UNICEF, in the beginning of 2020, around 160 million children world-over were subjected to child labour, with another 9 million in cue due to the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, every 1 out 10 children worldwide is subjected to child labour. Child labour is one of the curses of industrial and commercial development.
Children are mostly engaged in work that can have hazardous consequences like physical and mental illness, even death. In many cases, it leads to sexual and economic exploitation, slavery etc. Child labour is an evil that encourages economically deprived children to quit school and refuse healthcare benefits provided by the state, hence restricting them from availing fundamental rights and putting their future at stake.
Major Causes of Child Labour –
- Poverty is the single-most important cause behind this social evil. Children from poor families are forced to give up education when the sole bread winner of the family – mother or father – loses their job or falls prey to some illness. Sometimes a child might be sent to work just to make ends meet.
- Sudden poverty can be caused by natural disasters, pandemics, politically adverse situations etc. This forces families to migrate and get displaced. These people are branded as refugees and they end up without money or jobs. This forces their children to take part in the function of bringing home money.
- Often, during the process of migration, many children also fall prey to trafficking. According to UNICEF, 30 million children live outside their country of birth which increases the risk of child trafficking, sexual exploitation and other hazardous circumstances.
- In many developing and under-developed countries, state sponsored education is not up-to-the-mark, if at all available. This forces poor children, in such countries, to opt for work.
- Most deprived people, world-over, are not even aware of their own rights. They are also not aware of the meanings of concepts like proper work conditions, safe work space, equality, fair play, social protection etc. Thus, they are easily exploited and end up sending their children to work in hazardous circumstances.
Child labour is an evil of the modern world! To protect children all over the world and for humanity’s bright future, we need to come together and try to put an end to child labour.
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