Protecting Child Rights

A report has portrayed a dismal picture of Nepal's children. According to the report, based on a survey by a non-governmental organisation working for the rights of the child, there are 2.6 million working children in Nepal, of which 25 per cent work in the hazardous sector. The survey on the state of the working children, which was released in Kathmandu the other day, stated that 71,500 children are working in restaurants whereas 32,000 work in stone quarries, 19,000 work as porters, about 40,000 work in brick kilns and 16,000 in the mechanical sector. All these sectors are hazardous based on the nature of work and other conditions under which these children are working.The conditions pose serious health hazards and other physical and mental risks to them. Apart from the risk involved, the child labourers have often experienced various kinds of physical, psychological and mental exploitation and harassment. The survey has pointed out incidents of sexual harassment and exploitation meted out to the working children. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Nepal is a signatory, has defined a child as one who has not attained the age of 18 years, and the UN instrument has clearly prohibited child labour. However, the reality is different in many of the third world countries.

Many children are working for their survival mainly due to poverty and ignorance. Although governments have signed the international instruments that ban the recruitment of children, there is little progress when it comes to implementing these commitments. The non-compliance of international human rights and humanitarian laws as well as the national legislation is another strong factor for child labour. Nepal is a signatory to several UN and ILO conventions and treaties including the CRC.But a large number of children are shedding their blood and sweat in various sectors. These working children are often denied their basic rights including the right to education. In a country with a population of 26 million, 2.6 million working children is no small number. As these working children are denied an education and other rights, their future is certain to be bleak, which would further push them into the cycle of poverty. Against this background, the ILO convention has focused on the elimination of worst forms of child labour. In the present condition, total elimination of child labour does not seem feasible. Although the goal should be to ultimately eliminate all forms of child labour in the long run, an immediate strategy should be to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

Source: The Rising Nepal, June 30, 2007