Veroli Zhimo
The World Day against Child Labour was a subdued event in Nagaland this year with only a handful NGOs and organisations taking the onus to observe the day.
To raise awareness and activism towards prevention of child labour, June 12 was first earmarked as World Day Against Child Labour by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2002.
In the lead up to the event, the ILO and UNICEF estimated that without mitigation strategies, the number of children in child labour could rise by 8.9 million by the end of 2022, due to higher poverty and increased vulnerability.
Within the state of Nagaland, employing children as domestic workers in exchange for education is a common practice and it is often justified as a form of ‘charity’ by those involved, indicating a lack of understanding as well as ignorance about the child labour laws and regulations that are in place in the country. Besides this, child labour—in any work environment—is a phenomenon that is usually rarely addressed, except on occasions where instances of violence and abuse against children employed as domestic workers are underlined on various media platforms.
Within this scenario, NGOs and governmental agencies working towards eradication of child labour while calling for stricter implementation of laws, have on several occasions, underscored that there are various socio-economic factors to consider in the broader discourse surrounding child labour. The economic condition of families that send their children out to work at a young age is one such factor, among several others. Several of them have pointed out that many of the children were compelled to work due to poverty and, as a result, they remained deprived of education. However, lack of proper data and analysis on such details in the State prove to be a huge hindrance when it comes to strengthening consensus for action.
Here, the ILO and UNICEF’s push for strengthening social protection systems for the prevention and elimination of child labour gains significance. Basing on a report titled ‘The Role of Social Protection in Eliminating Child Labour: An Examination of Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications,’ which was published in May this year, the organisations highlighted that prioritising child benefits, as well as extending social protection to workers in the informal economy, thereby, supporting their transition from the informal to the formal economy, would go a long way in eradicating child labour.
The report presented a series of studies carried out since 2010 that show how social protection, by helping families cope with economic or health crises, reduces child labour and facilitates schooling. Nevertheless, little progress has been made in ensuring that all children enjoy social protection, stated the study. “Worldwide, 73.6%, or some 1.5 billion children between 0 and 14 years of age, do not receive any family or child cash benefits. This huge protection gap needs to be closed and closed quickly,” explained the report.
For this to happen, it expounded on building integrated social protection systems that provide adequate benefits throughout the life cycle, from child and family benefits, maternity and unemployment benefits to old-age pensions, as well as health protection.
Governments would have to identify households with children, especially those in situations of greatest vulnerability, and ensure that child and family benefits reach them. In this, the community and civil society organisations as well as the churches have a significant role to play as they are better equipped, in terms of data and relevant information, on where the social protection programmes should be implemented.
Another important step, according to the report, was simplifying registration procedures and providing different benefit payment mechanisms that would make it easier for caregivers to receive their social protection benefits. This can be supplemented by increasing investment in accessible, quality, basic education and other vital social services for children.
Most significantly, there is a need to build strong political commitment whether it is to end child labour or to establish universal social protection systems. Several actions and conferences at the international level such as the Sustainable Development Agenda and the strong consensus agreed by the International Labour Conference in 2021, as well as the outcome of the Durban child labour conference, can be taken as reference points to coordinate local initiatives.
With just three years to go to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals target 8.7 set to end child labour by 2025, there is a need to intensify the movement for social initiative and awareness-raising to eradicate child labour. It is also important to raise awareness of those who force children into child labour and exploit them. And at the same time, it is time to reduce the growing poverty and income inequality and ensure quality and life-oriented education for all children.
As ILO Director General, Guy Ryder remarked at the opening of the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in Durban in May 2022, “There are many reasons to invest in universal social protection but eliminating child labour has to be one of the most compelling.”
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