Challenges galore in ensuring child welfare

The year 2021 has been declared as an International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. This Year's World Day Against Child labour focuses on action taken for the year 2021.This is a universal ratification of the International Labour Organisation's Convention of 182 on the worst forms of child labour and takes place at time when Covid 19 crisis started and threatens to continue.

There are 152 million children including 64 million boys and 88 million girls estimated to be in child labour globally. It accounts for almost one in ten of all children engaged worldwide. Almost half of the child labour is in Africa with 72 million, followed by Asia and Pacific regions with another 62 million children. It is estimated that 75 per cent of the children are in agriculture and other allied fields.

According to the Census 2011, India's child labourers are around 10.1 million including 5.6 million boys and 4.5 million girls. These children are engaged in various fields mostly in brick kilns, garment manufacturing, working with restaurants, tea stalls and farming sectors. These children are exploited as child labour and in many forms of sexual abuse, other forms of discrimination with their social and economic backgrounds.

Besides to this, Covid 19 Emergency has been impacted children very badly and country is battling to save lives of the children and adolescents. Measures taken to safeguarding the children from virus spread by closure of schools and movement restrictions. But, due to lockdown and close of business establishments most of the migrant and wage labourers were lost their livelihoods, unable to feed their families. This is evidence that, during times of emergencies and crisis, there is a high risk of children entering the labour force.

The Covid 19 pandemic threatens India's commitment to end all forms of child labour under SDG-8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all) even as the figure has in fact declined by 2.6 million between 2006- 2011.

According to 2011 census, working children in Telangana was 3.39 lakhs in the age group of 5-14 and 9.01 lakhs in the 15-19 age group (this includes both main and marginal workers) and 4,04,851 in Andhra Pradesh. There are 5 out of every 100 children are child labour includes51 per cent are boys and 49 per cent are girls and 80 per cent of child labour are in Rural areas and 20 per cent are in Urban areas and according to 2011 census. These children are involved in construction work, rag picking, agriculture & allied sectors, working in hotels and involved in other domestic work.

Both the Centre and the States are putting their efforts but, those efforts must be strengthened by appropriate actions including creating awareness among communities, providing livelihood options for the families those who are depending on children income and law enforcement is one the key action to bring back the children for accessing their rights to lead dignified life.

All governments must keep a special agenda for children to address the challenges of protecting children from abuse, exploitation, child labour and protecting them from emergencies like Covid in particular.

(The writer is Manager-Education, South India, Save the Children. The above views and recommendations have made based on the experience and desk reviews of various reports. The organisation is not responsible for the views and comments included in the article.)