Child Labour today!

The fatal disease, which needed cure.


BY Afra Naufel



The International Labour Organization (ILO) released its Global Report on Child Labour on May 2010. The report stated that the action against child labour across the world is speeding up.

The report highlighted the fact that the number of children of age 5 – 14 fell by 10 percent. Child labour amongst girls decreased by 15 million. Yet it has increased for the boys by 8 million. Those children among the young population, aged 15 to 17 has increased by 20 percent.

The National Survey on Child Labour in Sri Lanka conducted in 1999 by the Department of Census and statistics, say that 926,037 children in the island are economically active in Child Labour. However, this number includes children who are involved in some form of economic activity, while also attending a school or an institute. It further states that nearly 26 per cent of these children are engaged in an economic activity while not attending school or any other educational institution. It is also reported in the survey that 52 per cent (475,531) of all working children are less than 15 years of age.

The majority of the children engaged in economic activity are boys (62.3 per cent). Furthermore, 95 per cent of all working children reside in rural areas.

Child labour is usually referred to children who work before they reach the lawful, minimum age for employment in their country. The global report of the ILO states that "with all its work towards the reduction of this child labour, yet a staggering 115 million are still exposed to hazardous work".

The main reason why children start work instead of attending school, or leave school before completing their primary education is when their families are poor and cannot pay the basic costs of food and housing. It puts them in hardship and forces their child to earning something as well. Some adult workers are not paid enough to support their families, and sometimes even the wages from both parents’ incomes are not sufficient to keep their family housed, clothed and fed. Sometimes employers prefer to employ children, finding them more obedient and cheaper than adults, states the Ex child exploitation report of the UNICEF.

It is the same case in Sri Lanka where the child goes to work most of the time when both parents don’t work or one or both parents are dead. Despite the fact that most of the basic necessities, like education and health care is provided free by the Sri Lankan government.

Constance Thomas, Director of the ILO’s international programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) states, “Most child labour is rooted in poverty. The way to tackle the problem is clear. We must ensure that all children have the chance of going to school, we need social protection systems that support vulnerable families – particularly at times of crisis – and we need to ensure that the adults have a chance of decent work. These measures, combined with effective enforcement of laws that protect children, provide the way forward.”

Another reason for young children to set out for work, is family breakdowns. Families break down for many reasons, leaving the household short of income. Sometimes divorce leaves one parent looking after more children than he or she can afford to feed. Divorce is sometimes brought about by domestic violence, which also directly drives children to leave home when they are still young. Families also lose their livelihood as a result of natural disasters and human crises that leave people destitute and force children to start earning.

Sri Lanka was hit by the Tsunami in the year 2004. Most of the coastal land was washed away, leaving thousands of people as destitute. The child population out numbered the adult population. The families needed to survive and therefore those children, who were schooling before, had to look for a job. The tsunami, therefore, has lead to an increase in child labour in Sri Lanka, according to the census and statistics 2006 Sri Lanka.

HIV/AIDS is the third most important factor that leads to child labour in the world. Where a parent gets ill of AIDS the most common disease and the child is forced to go out to work.

Child labour, was a disease that rapidly spread across the world, in the past. The steps taken by organizations concerned have given relief to the lives of few children. yet there is a lot more little ones out there, doing "a man's work". Child labour should be slashed from root from all parts of the world.