PROJECT ON CHILD LABOR A STOLEN CHILDHOOD

RESEARCH WORK PRESENTED BY: AARTI YAMSANWAR

Isnt it something really sad to know and still keep on knowing that Child Labor still exist. Well, some people may have a casual approach towards children working at a very early age when they are supposed to learn, play and enjoy their life. Very few understand the importance of missing childhood. Would you want to know how it feels leaving your home, education, freedom and fun for the sake of earning? If yes, I have a Project Report on Child Labor to share with you. Most importantly, when we are talking about Child labor, we need to understand who a child is.

Who is a Child?
International conventions define children as aged 18 and under. Individual governments may define "child" according to different ages or other criteria. "Child" and "childhood" are also defined differently by different cultures. A "child" is not necessarily delineated by a fixed age. Social scientists point out that childs abilities and maturities vary so much that defining a child's maturity by calendar age can be misleading.

Definition of a Child Labor

Child labor is the employment of children at regular and sustained labor. "Child labor" is, generally speaking, work for children that harms them or exploits them in some way (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking access to education). UNICEF defines child labor as work that exceeds a minimum number of hours, depending on the age of a child and on the type of work. Such work is considered harmful to the child and should therefore be eliminated. There is no universally accepted definition of child labor. Varying definitions of the term are used by international organizations, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and other interest groups. Writers and speakers don't always speak what definition they are using and that often leads to confusion.

INTRODUCTION TO CHILD LABOR

Child labor is one of the more harrowing aspects of 19th century history and undoubtedly an emotive topic. To get employment reform acts passed as legislation, reformers highlighted stories of the horrific treatment of children in mills and down the mines.

Not all work is bad for children. Some social scientists point out that some kinds of work may be completely unobjectionable except for one thing about the work that makes it exploitative. For instance, a child who delivers newspapers before school might actually benefit from learning how to work, gaining responsibility, and earn a bit of money. But what if the child is not paid? Then he or she is being exploited. As UNICEFs 1997 State of the World's Children Report puts it, "Children's work needs to be seen as happening along a continuum, with destructive or exploitative work at one end and beneficial work - promoting or enhancing children's development without interfering with their schooling, recreation and rest - at the other. And between these two poles are vast areas of work that need not negatively affect a child's development." Other social scientists have slightly different ways of drawing the line between acceptable and unacceptable work. Children's participation in economic activity - that does not negatively affect their health and development or interfere with education, can be positive. Work that does not interfere with education (light work) is permitted from the age of 12 years under the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 138. So child engaged in part time work to learn practical skill linked to social or inherited custom or crafts is not child labor. It becomes "child labor" only when child weaves carpet in a factory or factory; earns money to support family without schooling, social development. On the other hand if child works for 3-4 hours to learn or earn for self or parents after schooling, would not be known as child labor as is additional education and practical skill that a child learns.

HOW MANY CHILD LABOUR ARE THERE?

In 2000, the ILO estimates, "246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labor, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child labor, which include forced and bonded labor, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation."

COUNTRIES WHERE CHILD LABOUR IS SEEN?

> 61% in Asia, 32% in Africa, and 7% in Latin America, 1% in US, Canada, Europe and other wealthy nations In Asia, 22% of the workforce is children. In Latin America, 17% of the workforce is children. The proportion of child laborers varies a lot among countries and even regions inside those countries. "In Africa, one child in three is at work, and in Latin America, one child in five works. In both these continents, only a tiny proportion of child workers are involved in the formal sector and the vast majority of work is for their families, in homes, in the fields or on the streets." -- Unicef's 1997 State of the World's Children Report. In the United States: An estimated 290,200 children were unlawfully employed in 1996. Some it's not clear how many were "older teens working a few too many hours in after-school jobs." About 59,600 were younger than age 14, and some 13,100 worked in garment sweatshops, according to an Associated Press series on child labor published in December 1997.

CHILD LABOR AND EDUCATION

Child labor is closely associated with poverty. Many poor families are unable to afford school fees or other school costs. The family may depend on the contribution that a working child makes to the household's income, and place more importance on that than on education. And when a family has to make a choice between sending either a boy or girl to school, it is often the girl who loses out. More than ever today, children need a good quality education and training if they are to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in the labor market. However, in many countries the schools which are accessible to the poor families are underresourced and inadequate. Poor facilities, over-sized classes, and lack of trained teachers lead to low standards of education. In the Millennium Development Goals the United Nations and the broader international community set targets of ensuring that by 2015 all boys and girls complete a full course of primary education and that there is gender parity in education. These targets cannot be met unless the factors that generate child labor and prevent poor families from sending children to school are addressed. Among the most important steps required are:

Provision of free and compulsory education; Tackling barriers to girls education; Ensuring that children have access to a school and a safe and quality learning environment; Providing catch up education opportunities for children and youth who have so far missed out on formal schooling; Tackling the worldwide shortage of teachers and ensuring a properly trained and professional teaching force; Enforcing laws on child labor and education in line with international standards; Tackling poverty, and creating decent work for adults; Raising public awareness to tackle child labor.

Child laborers work for most of the time. In some cases they work for 16 hours a day. This deprives the child from time to seek education, which is essential for the

overall development and future progress of the child. Some children are bound by their employers as slaves and have to work all the time. In some cases the poverty of the household and low level of parental education are responsible for child labor. The value of education is less important to the parents than the income the child earns for them. In the present money-oriented environment, the parents consider putting their child to work a better education method than schooling as work assures survival and better future prospects. This is due to the failure of many graduates to get a job, which is evident from the high level of unemployment existing among them.

"Education broadens your mind but it does not teach you how to survive.

CHILD LABOR AND HEALTH HAZARDS

Working conditions that are safe and healthy for adults may not be safe and healthy for children because of their physical differences. Risks may be greater for children at various stages of development and may have long-term effects. Factors that may increase the health, safety, and developmental risk factors for children include:

Rapid skeletal growth Development of organs and tissues Greater risk of hearing loss Developing ability to assess risks Greater need for food and rest Higher chemical absorption rates Smaller size Lower heat tolerance Exposure to pesticides Working with machinery and sharp tools Lack of clean water, hand-washing facilities, and toilets Beginning to work at very early ages, often between 5-7 years of age Less restrictive standards for agricultural work

Occupational hazards cause not only short-term health effects (mainly injuries, skin problems, etc), but most effects are long-term and will only become evident in adulthood. Therefore, they are difficult to measure and to quantify. Cancer, infertility, chronic back pain and IQ reduction are some of the expected long-term outcomes. The elimination of child labor is a long-term objective. However, in the meanwhile, we cannot allow that children are injured or harmed at work in their struggle for survival, especially when we have the knowledge and means to prevent this.

Long hours of work on a regular basis can harm childrens social and educational development. U.S. adolescents who work more than 20 hours per week have reported more problem behaviors (e.g., aggression, misconduct, substance use), and sleep deprivation and related problems (falling asleep in school). They are more likely to drop out of school and complete fewer months of higher education.

The unconditional worst forms of child labor (e.g., slavery, soldiering, prostitution, drug trafficking) may have traumatic effects, including longer term health and socioeconomic effects. Children work in conditions that may endanger their health such as in stone quarries, tanning leather, and electroplating metals. They work without any protective clothing or equipment. Children in different occupations face different fatal diseases. Children employed in stone cutting, brick factories, granite quarries and slate factories face the risk of silicosis caused from exposure to silica. Tuberculosis is another disease faced by children in pottery related industries. These children also suffer from malnutrition due to their poor living conditions.

NEWS ARTICLES ON CHILD LABOR

ARTICLE 1

A world without child labor 15 Oct 2006

> October 10 was a benchmark date for the child laborers working in households, and the hospitality sector. On this day, the amended Child Labor (Prohibition & Regulation) Act of 1986 came into force, prohibiting households, officers, hotels and guesthouses from employing children aged below 14 years as domestic help. It is heartening to read news reports that the Labor department has tracked complaints of child labor in hotels and homes, and implemented the Child Labor Abolition Act. But the lack of effective alternatives and inadequate rehabilitation mechanisms makes the implementation of the law a daunting task. Labor minister G Vinod hits the mark when he says, "The task will be difficult. We will have to intrude into the privacy of thousands of households, to check for child labor." The most striking thing about child labor is that it's ubiquitous everywhere, despite multi-pronged crusades by government legislations, non-governmental agencies and awareness programmes through media and literature. The issue might be the pet peeve of middle and upper middle class families in the social sphere, but a child working in the homes of most of them isn't an uncommon sight. Most employers assuage their conscience by the thought that they are offering employment to a child, and in the process, the law gets hoodwinked into selective amnesia. A case in point is J Arvind, a resident of Sainikpuri, who employed a 14-year-old "to help her family that was in dire need of money for survival". Arvind says, "The earnings of my maid and her mother together is hardly enough to feed two younger ones in their family. A drunkard father makes matters worse for them. If we cease to employ her, what will happen to her family? The child is free to choose whether she should earn or learn." Subramanyam, secretary of an apartment in West Marredpally that was recently declared child labor free, suggests, "In most cases, kids work because either their parents are alcoholics or

sick. Apart from prohibiting their employment, the government should also counsel parents and ensure that they are fit to work." While there is a debate on which kind of child labor is exploitative, most people agree that there is an intrinsic link between elimination of child labor, elimination of poverty and retention of children in schools. "Recently, when I had gone to an MLA's house, I was surprised to see a 10-year-old working there. The irony is that the lawmakers themselves break the law. But let us consider that even if the child is sent back to his home, can his family afford to educate and feed him? In the first place, if they could, they would have never sent him to work," says R Vijayan, a resident of Begumpet. However, Shanta Sinha, founder of MV Foundation that has been actively fighting against child labor, says observes, "People are aware of the law but don't pay much heed to it because the government isn't actively implementing it." So what are the solutions? While lawmakers chalk out action-plans to mitigate the problem, Shanta says, "The government should treat the situation as an emergency and get cracking on it. If communities come together and cooperate with the government, the problem can be solved in a year or two. New forums need to be formed to support the cause. The day we feel a sense of shame for making a child work, that would be the end of child labor." Citizens like Shanta Kumari of Bowenpally opine, "I think the state should build homes where such kids can study and get vocational training. Otherwise, employers could educate them at home." "Such measures seem like an egalitarian dream in a scenario where even if people are booked for employing children, they bribe their way out or produce fake age certificates showing workers as over 18," concludes Subramanyam. hyderabadtimes@indiatimes.com

ARTICLE 2

No child labor in India after 2007, says Verma 18 Jul 2003

> LUCKNOW: Union labor minister Sahib Singh Verma on Thursday said that the Centre would bring a bill in Parliament for giving social security to the workers of the unorganized sector. Out of 40 crore work force, only 3 crore were being covered under the social security schemes, said the minister. Speaking at a function on child labors at Ravindralaya, the labor minister said that during the 15-day drive from July 1, the department had identified 67,000 child labors and sent 40,000 of them to schools. He said by 2007, there would not be any child labor in the country. But for complete rehabilitation of child labors, he said, there was need to create an international funding which could be utilized for imparting skill in these children. He said that under the social security schemes, the labors would be given assistance of up to Rs 200 per month in lieu of small contributions. The social security funds, he said, could also be used for providing medical treatment to them. Today, the scheme to identify child labors were being carried in 150 districts in the country but this would be extended to 32 districts. Out of 1 crore child labor in the country, 63,000 had been identified in Uttar Pradesh said, he said. For the implementation of social security schemes, NGO's cooperation could be taken, said the minister, saying that he was aware that many NGOs were not sincere in their work. Some NGOs, he said, were only making profit. Praising the Uttar Pradesh government for "Jan Shree Beema Yojna", the labor minister said that this scheme would change the face of children and they would become self-dependent. The minister said that under this, the labor would be asked to contribute Rs 100 in a year and in return would get Rs 100 every month for their two children for a year. This facility, he said, would not be extended to the third child. The minister said that hospitals were being identified where laborers could be given treatment under another scheme launched by the government for them.

ARTICLE 3

733 convicted so far for child labor violations

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 19:55 IST

BANGALORE: A total of 733 persons have been convicted by courts in the last seven years in Karnataka for offences under the prohibition of child labor act and Rs 54.38 lakhs collected as fines, Minister for Labor B N Bacchegowda said on Wednesday. As many as 85,858 children employed in violation of the act had been freed and 17,481 cases booked against violators, he told reporters after chairing the first meeting of the Child Labor Board, set up in 2001. He claimed that the board had not met even once since its inception till date the government proposed to establish "boys towns", to the one in Andhra Pradesh, to impart job-oriented courses for child laborers to rehabilitate them, he said. The state has written to the Centre to enhance the age limit under the prevention of child labor act from the present 14 years to 16. ARTICLE 4

Child Labor used to sell BBC magazines in Delhi

Dean Nelson in Delhi

The BBC is profiting from child labor in India where boys as young as eight are being forced by gangs to sell Top Gear and Good Homes magazines, for as little as 12p a day. According to campaigners, the children, who are sold by their families

for about 12.50, suffer abuse at the hands of gangsters who control the roadside pitches where they hawk magazines. Last week The Sunday Times interviewed young boys selling BBC magazines at road junctions throughout Delhi. They had left their farming families in the northeastern state of Bihar after drought had ruined their crops, they said, and were now working punishing 12-hour days. Top Gear magazine was launched in India in 2005. The BBC formed a joint venture with the Times of India group to create Worldwide Media, Indias biggest magazine publisher, which also produces Good Homes magazine.

The publications are sold on bookstalls for about 1 each, but it is a ferociously competitive market and the battle for readers is fought on the main roads in big cities. Retailers appointed by the joint venture hire distributors, who in turn employ gangs who use trafficked children to sell to motorists. They include Sanjay, aged nine, who was last week selling both magazines at Delhis busy Moolchand flyover. He said he had come to the city two months ago with his 11-year-old brother, after drought ruined his parents rice crop in Bihar. He said he earned 60p-75p a day. His fellow magazine seller, Anand, said that on an average day he sold four magazines and received five rupees (6p) per copy. Yesterday I earned 50 rupees [60p], but today just 10 [12p], he said. The Indian Save the Children foundation raided one of Delhis junctions and rescued 13 children selling magazines earlier this year. Bhuwan Ribhu, an activist for the foundation, said: The BBC has a responsibility to police their subcontractors. A spokeswoman for BBC Magazines last night admitted the use of child labor in India and said the corporation was working urgently to tackle the problem. Plainly this is something we condemn utterly, she said. We have a rigorous ethical policy which covers all our activities around the world and take these matters very seriously indeed.

RESEARCH WORK PRESENTED BY: AARTI YAMSANWAR