"Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams!" is the theme for World Day Against Child Labour 2019.
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The World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12, every year in almost 100 countires all around the globe.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched World Day Against Child Labour in 2002, after which it is annually celebrated to raise awareness about the plight of child labourers worldwide.
It is important to note that hundreds of children in India drop out of schools to help their parents to earn livelihood because of extreme poverty.
International Labour Organiation defines child labour as "work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development".
The annual event was started in order to raise awareness towards pressing social issues, regarding children, prevalent in the world and the actions to be taken to tackle them.
THEME
Various activities, in correspondence to a particular theme, are planned around the globe to tackle the factors contributing to child labour.
"Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams!" is the theme for World Day Against Child Labour 2019.
Children are the future of our country. Yet, child labour exists in almost every sector, with agriculture sector as one of the main 'supporter' of child labour.
FACTS ABOUT CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
In July 2016, the Indian government passed an amendment to Child Labour Prohibition Act 1986. It proposed three major changes:
>The definition of a child changed from one below 18 to one below 14 years of age
>The child below 14 will not be allowed to work in any industry except a 'Family Enterprise'
>The list of industries that are considered harmful for a child below the age of 14 have been brought down from 83 to just three
The reduction in the number of hazardous industry has somehow resulted in promotion of child labour in several sectors of industry.
DO YOU KNOW?
>Bihar is the state with maximum child labour employers followed by Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
>The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries take up 62 per cent of working children in the country
>According to a survey, India continues to host the largest number of child labourers in World today. Few magazines and articles claim Delhi to be the National Capital of Child Labourers
>As per an article by The Hindu, more than half of Delhi’s working children are forced to work for more than eight hours a day without a single day’s rest
>Almost 70 per cent employers are aware of the term child labour but they continue to employ children, as per CRY organisation's survey.
SIGNIFICANCE
>To curb the child labour practices in our countries
>Spreading awareness about the harmful mental and physical problems faced by children forced into child labour, around the world
>For developing efficient mechanisms to combat specific issues that leads to child labour.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
>By spreading awareness amongst people
>Discouraging people to employ children in homes, shops, factories, etc
>Supporting NGOs
>Sending more children to school
