India - Global March Against Child Labour

The Global March Against Child Labour is a worldwide network of trade unions, teachers' and civil society organisations that work together towards the shared development goals of eliminating and preventing all forms of child labour and ensuring access by all children to free, meaningful and good quality public education. It mobilises and supports its constituents to contribute to local, national, regional and global efforts and support for a range of international instruments relating to the protection and promotion of children's rights and engages with the United Nations, international and inter-governmental agencies on the same, including for:

• The ratification and implementation of the International Labour Organization (ILO)'s core labour standards, in particular the Child Labour Conventions No. 138 on Minimum Age of Employment and No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour;

• The implementation of and follow-up to the ILO's Declaration of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;

• The implementation of and follow-up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;

• The implementation of the Dakar Framework for Action on Education For All (EFA);

• The achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);

• The follow-up to the Roadmap for Achieving the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2016.

The Global March Against Child Labour published various reports about that issue, the last one early June: Economics Behind Forced Labour Trafficking focused on India.

According to chairperson of Global March Against Child Labour, Kailash Satyarthi, close to Rs 21 lakh crore is generated by enslaving girls in brothels for commercial sexual exploitation and in homes as child domestic labourers. "This amount is equivalent to one-fifth of the country's GDP. The dream of development and scandal of child slavery cannot coexist. It is now or never," Satyarthi is quoted in the report.

The biggest beneficiaries in this money chain are the placement agencies who are illegally earning Rs 13,000-41,000 crore per year by exploiting 7-17 million child domestic labourers. There is no final data on the numbers.

In NCR, the estimated number of registered and unregistered placement agencies adds up to 3,000. At least 30% of these engage child labour. The maximum could be as high as 70%. Each agency is able to place 60-100 children as domestic workers every year. The agencies receive commission of Rs 20,000-50,000 per child. They pay the child anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs 4,500 per month. This money, too, is often kept by the agency and does not reach the child.

The role of the upper-middle and middle class in the growth of domestic child labour is enormous. "Hidden inside private homes, child domestic labour represents an invisible, large-scale and growing industry. Latest estimates indicate that 220-250 million people, accounting for 15-20% of the country's population, represent the upper-middle and middle class in India. The number is expected to grow with 60% of this class living in urban areas. As expected, the study shows extensive trafficking of children to urban areas," the report said.

Data shows Delhi is the prime destination of trafficked children. States like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Chattisgarh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are key sources. The predominance of girls as domestic helps is confirmed by the study.

"Economically disadvantaged families in rural India have long been attuned to the idea that domestic labour is a 'safe way' for their daughters to earn. The report highlights that girls as young as five years are employed as child labour in homes. The analysis indicates 80% of the children at the time of rescue are of 16 years of age or below. A majority of the children are in the age group of 14-16 years," the report said.

The Times of India

Global March Against Child Labour | From Exploitation to Education

Global March Against Child Labour has been instrumental in shaping the ethical trade Mechanism on child labour free goods - in sporting goods industry through the Global March's World Cup Campaign ...

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