labor20

Children, whatever part of the world they may inhabit, should be regarded as the
foundation of a nation. They are the backbone for the future supporting families, society,
and country. They must be molded in a right way to make them suitable for adulthood.
Despite this fact, about 30 million children in the developing and developed worlds are not
getting an education. Moreover, affection from their parents and elders is lacking and they
are being persuaded to do laborious work, which is mostly unsuitable for their physical and
mental capabilities.
"Child labor" subjects children to mistreatment in places like factories and hazardous
environments, ranging from small scale organizations to household activities. Moreover,
child labor has made a steady impact on agriculturally dominant countries, like Nepal.

In peasant families especially, children from villages are often exiled to the cities, willfully or
by the force of their elders in order to search for an occupation, often just to rid the family
of the burden of raising a child.

It's considered more worthy to send children to work rather than into the educational
sectors. Girls are the majority facing educational deprivation as their parents think that it's
of no use if they are to go to a groom's home after marriage.

All in all, children that tend to suffer the most from this disadvantage are from migrant and
minority groups. In their rural habitat, children are not free from any kind of rigorous
physical jobs. Fetching water, collecting firewood, grazing cattle, caring for younger
children, and helping elders, is often indivisible from their daily routine.

The problem becomes worse when they migrate to the cities, as they are more likely to get
engaged in the carpet and garment industries, confectioneries, brick kilns, roads and
building construction, transportation and stone quarries.

The foremost reason for a child to be employed easily is because they are a cheap source
of labor, meek, and uncomplaining. An employee can treat them like a machine and not
care for their condition, while raking in big profits.

With the latest research it's been found that children aged between 6-14 years are
economically active in the domestic sectors by 21.4 percent and in the non-domestic
sectors by 4.1 percent. From the total number, 26.3 percent are in rural areas, 16.7
percent from urban areas, and 50.2 percent are from the bonded-family areas.

Through this they are being deprived of the development of physical, social, emotional,
educational, and spiritual circumstances. Whenever the children are being employed they
often lack permanent shelter and guardianship and acquisition of basic requirements, like
managing two square meals a day, becomes their priority.

After leaving home, children are bound to work in less protective urban environments and
they are vulnerably subjected to the risk of violence or crime, including HIV or other
hazardous diseases, and also torture or even sexual violence and exploitation.

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child says every child in the world should have a
comfortable living and the minimum rights for survival. Child rights are mainly concerned
with protection from exploitation and harm.

The Nepali government has also molded legislation regarding the elimination of child labor,
as children aged less than 14 are prohibited from being employed. But it doesn't seem to
be applied. The legislation is useless unless it gets implemented. A serious commitment to
address this sensitive issue seems to be lacking

The intensity concerning child abuse and child labor has reached its peak, mainly during
this war-affected period, between the Maoist insurgents and state security forces. Children
are being substantially abused, being forced into armed battalions and being used as
informants.

As child labor is the cause and consequence of socio-economic and political realities, it
should be tackled at the root by creating alternative opportunities for children.

Awareness should be promoted to alter attitudes. Various sectors from home and abroad
working for the welfare of the children must be provided with easy circumstances by the
government to approach their tentacles to help these issues, and they must be
encouraged and awarded by the government and civil society time and again.

Also, raising the intellectual or educational abilities of rural residents, including the children
themselves, is crucial in preventing intellectual strength from draining away. This can
further help children to become eligible citizens as adults, while insuring a profitable option
for themselves, as well as country's future.