Details for Child Labour

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Introduction:
Child labour or child labor is the employment of children. This practice is considered exploitive internationally. Commonly the child labour is considered as the after math of industrial revolution. Commonly children are working in factories, mines, agriculture, retail shops and in restaurant as waiter. This is a common practice in the third world countries because a child can be hired at very low salary.
In 18th century there were nearly 120000 domestic servants in London. According to UNICEF there are 158 million children aged 5 to 14 in child labour world wide excluding child as domestic labour and this figure increases day by day due to increase in poverty.

History of Child Labour:
The practice of child labour started with the beginning of industrial revolution. During industrial revolution many child hired which were working in poor environment. In England people and children are forced to work in factories to increase the production. At that time people do not like to work in factories. Gradually the industrial revolution covers the whole globe which results a rapid increase in child labour.

Laws:
Te first law to eliminate child labour, named factor act, was passed I Britain in the first half of 19th century. In 1990 different countries signed the document about the rights of child and child labour act was passed in USA. Internationally a large number of NGO’s are working to eliminate the child labour. It is the major problem of developing countries. Different campaigns were started against it in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan but there is no proper solution. The child labour causes other problems like unemployment of adults, prostitution and destruction of moral values.

Reasons:
The basic reason of child labour is poverty. The child belongs to a poor family forced to work for earning to make capable him and his family to meet common needs which are necessary for life. In Pakistan children are working in hotels, workshops, homes and some children are running their own business like fruit shop, motor rickshaws etc. In Pakistan the earning of a child per week is from 6 to 15 dollar per week which is insufficient even for food. So to meet the necessities of life they found other sources for earning like dishonesty or prostitution. Such children are always encouraged by adults around them for prostitution.
Its reason is the low literacy rate. If the parents are uneducated then they are unaware of importance of education. Due to this ignorance they forced children to work and earn instead of education.
Large family is also another reason for child labour. If there are seven children in a house and their father is unable to manage their common needs then due to poverty he forced his elder child to work with him for extra earning so that the basic necessities of family can be full filled.

Rights of a Child:
To enjoy the facilities of education, health and safety is the basic right of a child. It is his right that he must be provided with all facilities in a safe and healthy environment but in the world some children are not able to avail such facilities due to the poverty of parents and other so many causes. Unfortunately they are forced to work for their own existence. Their whole life passes in the struggle for their existence not for facilities and luxuries of life and this struggle for existence is named as child labour.

Different Case Studies:
Case1: Bilal belongs to a poor family. He is living with his parents, three younger brothers and five sisters. His age is 18 years and he is working from the age of 10 years. At start he earned only two dollars per week by working as a helper in a workshop. Now he is a rickshaw driver and earning 20 dollars per week. He was forced to work due to the illness of his father because there is no respectful earning source for his family to adopt.

Case2: Ahsan’s father died when he was only of 6 years. His mother worked in as sweeper in different houses to meet the general expenses. He was forced due to poor condition of family in the age of eight. At start he worked as sweeper in a workshop and earned only 2 dollars per week. There in the work shop he learnt metal wielding and now he is working as a wielder in a construction company and earning 25 dollars per week. Now his age is 17 years. He was forced to work due to the death of his father.
These are only two examples and there are millions of other examples which can be described here.

Aftermath:
Aftermaths of child labour are very dreadful. A particular psyche gradually developed in a working child, it is commonly negative and against the system which is responsible for the violation of his rights. Some times the working children trapped in crime and the reason of crime is to earn more and to get facilitation and enjoyment in life.
Some time working children trapped by the adults around them and such children used for prostitution. Some children adopt prostitution as source of earning and think it is the easy way for earning. Commonly the children working at bus stops or in workshops have such experiences. This sexual activity totally crushes the thinking and positivism in child. Such children commonly think that to use others for sexual activity is their right and this thinking is the major cause for sexual crimes.
As a whole society is ignoring child labour it is imposing particular silent effects on society. It gradually lead child towards crimes.
Child labour is cheap and when majority of children work due to poverty then it would be difficult for an adult to find a labour related job. This will increase the unemployment by 2 to 3 percent.

Elimination:
The child labour can not be eliminated form third world countries because there is no infrastructure designed by the governments. If government passes a law against child labour then it is like to kill those families for which a child works to earn in the absence of his father. First government has to provide funds and allocate them area wise correctly. If funds are available and there is a department which works for the rehabilitation for such children then it would be the first step for the elimination of child labour. The expanses for the education and health of a child must be paid by the government. It can not be eliminated unless government take particular actions seriously and provide suitable facilities for childern.