17336230 problems-of-child-labour-by-akshata
TRANSCRIPT
GOOD MORNING
“If we are to reach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children”
- MAHATMA GANDHI
INTRODUCTION-
Children are considered as an asset of society and children are the one who take the nation forward in a due course. But unfortunately social problems such as unemployment, poverty, ignorance and illiteracy of parents force them to work.
PROBLEMS OF CHILD LABOUR
-WHERE THE NATION IS HEADING TOWARDS?
AKSHATHA PARANJYOTHI KUMAR
DEPT. OF SOCIOLOGY
GOVT. FIRST GRADE COLLEGE, RAJAJINAGAR
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CHILD LABOUR
Indeed the problem of child labour is very old and it has been there since time immemorial. In ancient India, in Medieval India and also in pre-capitalist societies, children less than 8 years of age belonging to Scheduled Castes and lower castes were employed for doing menial works. Industrialization and large scale urbanization has aggravated the problem of child labour.
WHO IS A CHILD LABOUR?
There is no consensus with regard to the meaning of the term child labour.
According to the Child Labour( Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, ‘child means a person who has not completed his 14th year of age. Any such person engaged for wages, whether in cash or in kind, is a child worker’.
CHILD LABOUR IN DIFFERENT SECTORS
In India children are employed both in organized and unorganized sectors in rural and urban areas of which 90 percent is in rural areas. Children are engaged in activities like sowing, weeding, harvesting, tending of cattle, shoe-polishing, rag picking, beedi making, construction activities, hotels and restaurants work, helper at garages, households and so on.
HOW CHILDREN ARE EXPLOITED?
Children are damaged physically, emotionally, morally and intellectually
UNICEF states 14 percent of children between 5-14 years are involved in child labour
Bangladeshi girls and women trafficked for sexual exploitation to Pakistan, and boys were trafficked to Gulf States to work as camel jockeys, says US Dept. of State, Trafficking in Persons Report of 2005.
In Jammu and Kashmir armed groups recruit children in localized conflicts says Global Report on Child Soldiers 2004.
WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES CHILDREN FACE?
Full time work at a very early age
Dangerous workplaces
Excessive working hours
Psychological, verbal, physical and sexual abuse
obliged to work by circumstances
Limited or no pay
Work and life on the streets in bad conditions
No access to Education
PROBLEMS OF CHILD LABOUR
Child labour occurs even in developed countries
Children of ethnic minorities, immigrants, and marginalized groups are affected
Children are exposed to many health hazards at working places
Victims of many diseases
They are preferred to adult workers as children are less aware of their rights, accept dangerous work, more obidient and easier to exploit
UNICEF CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDS OF CHILD LABOUR
Physical hazards- affect overall health of children
Cognitive hazards- Education is reduced by child labour. Cognitive development includes literacy, numeric and acquisition of knowledge
Emotional, Social and Moral hazards- Trafficking
HEALTH HAZARDS SL. NO. OCCUPATION HEALTH
HAZARDS
1. Beedi industry Chronic bronchitis and tuberculosis
2. Glass Industry Asthma, Bronchitis, T.B., Eye problem
3. Handloom Industry Asthma, T.B.
4. Zari and Embroidery Eye defects
5. Gem and Diamond cutting Eye defects
6. Construction Stunted growth of child
7. Rag picking Tetanus, skin diseases
8. Pottery Asthma, Bronchitis, T.B.
9. Stone quarries/ Slate quarries Silicosin
Source- Rural Labour Cell of Academy of Gandhian Studies, Hyderabad, 1988
PLUTCHIK’S EMOTIONAL WHEEL
LOVE
DISGUST
OPTIMISM SURPRISE
AGGRESSION AWE
CONTEMPT DISSAPOINTMENT
REMORSE
JOY ACCEPTANCE
ANTICIPATION FEAR
ANGER SURPRISE
SADNESS
The wheel indicates eight primary emotions of children grouped into four pairs of opposites-
Acceptance and disgust
Fear and anger
Surprise and anticipation
Sadness and joy
Pluthick is of the view that these primary emotions give birth to number of other emotions.
The chart shows that children who are engaged in hazardous activities are deprived of primary emotions such as joy, acceptance, surprise etc, and they experience more of secondary emotions like disgust, fear, anger and sadness at their work places.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Terrible working conditions in urban and industrial areas
Miserable working conditions in Industrial units and mining areas
Victims of diseases
Exploitation at the hands of Intermediaries
PROBLEMS AT WORK PLACES
Lack of basic facilities
Lack of safety measures by employers
Lack of first-aid facilities
No compensation for injuries
No insurance
No incentives or perks
No bonus
No break in between working hours
Harassment by employers
WHAT CAUSES CHILD LABOUR
Economic factors
Extreme poverty
Introduction of the factory system
More work for less wages
Benefits to industries
Familial factors
Divorce
Rigid family relations
Desertion
Cruelty at home
Parent-child conflicts
Other factors
Failure of Government machinery and Legislative system
Lack of public awareness
STATISTICS ON CHILD LABOUR
17 million children in India work
children put in an average of 21 hours of labour per week
19% of children work as domestic help
90% working children are in rural India
85% working children in unorganized sectors
80% engaged in agricultural work
2 million child commercial sex workers between the age of 5 and 15 years and 3.3 million between 15 and 18 years
Form 40% of the total population of commercial sex workers
71% of them are illiterate
500,000 children are forced into this trade every year
WHERE INDIA IS HEADING TOWARDS?
Labour Ministry stated that India has 12.6 million working children between the ages of 5-14, the largest number of child labourers in the world
1979 declared as “International Year of the Child” by UN General Assembly
No proper enforcement of Policies and Programmes
What is the purpose of Constitutional Articles?
June 12th – Anti Child Labour Day- Is it serving any purpose?
RECOMMENDATIONS
Increased Family incomes
Education- universalisation of primary education
Social services- that help children and families survive crises such as disease, or loss of home and shelter
Family control of fertility
Proper enforcement of policies and programmes
Awareness among the masses
Effective role of Government and Non-Governmental Organizations
The development of India as a nation is being hampered by child labour. The Government of India must ensure that the needs of the poor are satisfied. If poverty is addressed, the need for child labour will diminish.
Concerted efforts are required from all section of the society to make a dent in the problem. There should be combined efforts of government, international agencies, non-governmental organizations and above all the citizens. Let us hope that child labour issue would be addressed genuinely and eradicated completely from our society in the coming years and near future.
WE ALL CAN HELP
When the setting sun asked,
Who shall do the rest?
A little lamp offered
I shall do my best.
- RABINDRANATH TAGORE
REFERENCES-• Agarwal, Rashmi: “Street Children- A Socio-Psychological Study”,
Shipra Publications, New Delhi, 1999
• Ahuja, Ram: “Social Problems in India”, Rawat Publications, New Delhi,1999
• Child Labour: Targeting the Intolerable, Geneva, 1998
• Dwarakanath, H.D.: “Child Labour:A Social Evil”, (an article in Little Hands in Chains- Child Labour in India edited by Gandhi, P. Jegadish et.al, Southern Economist Publications, Bangalore, 2001
• Gandhi, P. Jegadish and Subrahmanya, Susheela: “Little Hands in Chains- Child Labour in India”, Southern Economist Publications, Bangalore, 2001
• Khan, Ali Mumtaz: “Sociological Aspects of Child Development- A Study of Rural Karnataka”, Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi, 1980
• Singh, Dolly: “Child Development- Issues, Policies and Programmes, Kaniska Publishers Distributors, New Delhi, 1995
WEBSITES:
Census Of India
Department of Labour- Government of Karnataka
Helplinelaw.com
indianembassy.org
International Labour Office, Geneva- Website
International Labour Organization
OneWorld.net
Unicef website
NEWS PAPER ARTICLES:The Hindu, Monday, December 06, 2004: Reported by Sahana
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The Hindu, Wednesday, May 23, 2007: Reported by Bageshree S.
Prajavani, Sunday, June 10, 2007: Reported by Sacchidananda Kuragunda
The Hindu, Wednesday, June 13, 2007The Hindu, Thursday, June 14, 2007The Hindu, Friday, June 15, 2007: Reported by Bageshree S.The Hindu, Friday, July 13, 2007 The Hindu, Monday, October 15, 2007The Times of India, June 12, 2009