Rights Corner
The poor children in labour market
Today's children are the future of the country. But this slogan is not true in the life of the deprived poor children of the country. Lacs of children are now somehow forced to enter in to labour market instead of going school in their early childhood age. Although poverty is the main reason for child labour but there are so many reasons exists which insisted a child to earn his or her livelihood by physical labour. Inadequate income at family level is another cause that pressurized child to leave school. In this way lacs of children are being deprived of right to education. As a result child laborer is increasing day by day. Even though Govt. has initiated compulsory primary education but a large number of children cannot avail them to take this opportunity. Child labour is not disappearing from Bangladesh but is on the increase.
Child labour perform in many different capacities - as domestic workers, garage helpers, factory workers, porters in railway stations and markets, workers in small foundries -- many for little or no pay, and some of them in hazardous conditions. Many boys and girls who work do not have access to education and become trapped in low-skilled, low-pay work that further binds them into the cycle of poverty. The picture is especially bleak for children living in urban slums. Providing children with a quality education, life and income-generating skills is now seen as a means of increasing the options available to working children and their families. It will enable them to escape poverty and the need to work in hazardous or exploitative occupations.
The non implementation of labour laws regarding child labour, ignorance of the concerned authority, social discrimination and the overall socio-economic structure of the country is responsible for this situation. Most of the children are suffering from malnutrition, adequate food and unhygienic atmosphere surrounding their survival. Initiative need to be taken for an end to child labour.
Source: Shishu Prokash, an initiative of Mass line Media Centre and UNICEF.
