Social Measures for Preventing Child Labour

Youve seen them everywhere child labourers mopping floors in restaurants, rolling agarbathis,
working as farm hands you have seen them, and now you want to help them. Child labour is
indeed one of the biggest challenges facing Indian society, and prevention of child labour is on the
minds of both government and civil society. An NGO for child labour eradication would be a good
place to start. Both civil society and governments would need to work together to prevent child
labour.

Measures to help

So, what are the social measures that could be taken for prevention of child labour? There are many.
One of the biggest measures is creating awareness on the evils of child labour. Yet another is
understanding why child labour even exists. Parents and families need to know the importance of
education and how it contributes to the well-being of a child, families and society as a whole. The
right to education is an important right, and no child should be deprived under law or the
Constitution, of education.

An important social step you could take to prevent child labour is to mobilise the community
around you, and create a model to ensure access to education. This could be in the form of a
school system aimed at the underprivileged children who have been forced to work.

Another form of mobilisation at the community level is to organise workshops and interactions
to achieve this, you would need to identify an NGO for child labour eradication and work as a
volunteer. Volunteering could involve participating in public action groups, raising funds,
building partnerships with local businesses or brands etc. You could also promote the cause of the
NGO that is working towards prevention of child labour in various ways. You could spread the
message on social media, reach out to mainstream media or organise local events to create
awareness and also raise funds. Events could be in the form of street plays, music programmes in
your local park or even organising a marathon/run, for instance.

Volunteering to teach children would be a big way in driving social change, so if you spot a child
labourer, how about ensuring the child is provided a free education?

Yet another relevant step to be taken to eradicate child labour is to ensure that families are
provided social and economic security. This means appealing to corporates, large organisations
and governments to help.

At the ground-zero, local level, you can help by never hiring a child worker for any of your work,
either domestic or in a factory/restaurant etc. You can also help by convincing those you know
who have hired child labourers to let the children go and get an education.

You can draw the attention of an NGO for child labour prevention to intervene and help the child
resume his or her education. The NGO will ensure timely help, rescue child labourers and provide
them with rehabilitation.

As a society, it is the duty of every citizen to make sure a child is not deprived of her basic freedom
and right to an education. So, the time to do your bit is now!

POLL: Have you come across a child labourer, and how have you helped the child gain access
to education?