“THEY work 12-15 hours a day on an empty stomach. 10 to 15 children are crammed into small rooms and rarely see the open sky. For six to seven years children are unaware if it’s day or night – even forget the names of their parents,” says Shekhar Mahajan, founder of Sahyog Care for You.
This is the state of more than 10 million kids between the ages of 5 and 14 in India, trapped as child labourers, working in hazardous conditions and facing a bleak future.
According to the United Nations, the world had made steady progress in reducing child labour between 2000 and 2020. However, recent global crises including armed conflicts, economic instability, and the COVID-19 pandemic have reversed this positive trend, pushing millions more children into exploitative work situations. The world makrs World Day Against Child Labour on June 12. It is important to remember that an estimated 160 million children – nearly one in ten worldwide – are engaged in child labour. Poverty remains the key driver of this persistent problem. Some NGOs in India like Sahyog Care for You are working to bring children who are caught in the vicious cycle of labour and poverty.
Child Labour in India and Abroad
But we have a long way to go in India and worldwide when it comes to eradicating child labour fully. On this World Day Against Child Labour, if we look at United Nations statistics, they make shocking reading. For instance, a United Nations report reveals stark regional disparities in child labour prevalence. Africa suffers from both the highest rate (20% of children) and largest absolute number (72 million children) engaged in child labour.
Asia and the Pacific follows closely, with 7% of children (62 million) affected. Together, these two regions account for nearly 90% of all child labour cases globally. Other regions show lower but still concerning numbers. Interestingly, while low-income countries show the highest percentage of children in labour, middle-income nations bear the heaviest burden in absolute numbers. The data indicates that 84 million child labourers (56% of the global total) live in middle-income countries. An additional 2 million cases reported in high-income nations.
Child Labour Laws and Reality
India’s Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 (amended) strictly bans employment of children under 14 in all occupations. It prohibits adolescents (14-18 years) from hazardous work. Despite this legal framework, enforcement gaps persist. This leaves millions vulnerable to exploitation.
Child labour data reveals both progress and persistent challenges. The 2001 Census recorded 12.6 million working children aged 5-14 out of India’s 252 million children in this age group. Subsequent surveys showed encouraging declines – NSSO’s 2004-05 survey estimated 9.07 million working children. And by the 2011 Census, this number had significantly dropped to 4.35 million. These declining numbers demonstrate that government interventions have made measurable impact. But the fight against child labour remains far from over
The United Nations emphasizes that economic growth alone has failed to address this crisis. It calls for targeted social protection measures and inclusive policies to support vulnerable families. There is an urgent need for renewed global commitment to eliminate child labour in all its forms. It fact eliminating it by 2025 was the target to keep in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. That looks impossible now.
Support NGOs Fighting Against Child Labour
“Child labourers face lots of violence in their lives. There is violence in their homes, in the community, at workplaces and from society at large. But they do not have spaces where they could feel a sense of belonging, where they are treated with love and most importantly respect,” say Adwait Dandwate and Pranali Sisodiya of Vardhishnu NGO.
They believe that no child, whatever their family background, deserves to face so much hardship. Adwait and Pranali founded Vardhishnu Social Research and Development Society in 2014 to protect children from child labour dangers.
Starting out with a strong resolve, Shekhar of Sahyog has till date changed the lives of thousands of children. He has freed them from a life of abuse as child labourers and bonded labourers. The only thing stopping Shekhar from ensuring that every child gets the upbringing they deserve is a lack of resources and funds. With our support Sahyog Care for You can extend its reach and save thousands of children, Many are still trapped in bonded labour in hazardous conditions.
In fact, without help from common citizens, many children who are caught in the cycle of labour may never get out of it. They may never see the inside of a classroom, which is their right, and hope for a better life. We can all take a pledge this World Day Against Child Labour. We should never employ or encourage child labour and help those fighting against the evil child labour.
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Kumara was a professional journalist for over 15 years, with stints in The Telegraph and Reader’s Digest. He grew up hating maths and physics. He is a post-graduate in history. Kumara believes that cricket and Seinfeld have answers to most questions that life throws at you.
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