More children into child labour
The coronavirus pandemic seems to be making dire economic impacts on humanity, even more than its health impacts. Millions of parents are forced to push their children into begging, child labour and child marriage for survival in the absence of livelihood sources, says a study. A number of other studies also prove that more children are falling prey to covid-related hunger worldwide.
Hunger pushes more children into child labour
Nearly 110 million children face hunger, with 85 households left with little or no food , says a World Vision report. And eight million children are exposed to child labour and begging during Covid 19 outbreak. The report was based on a survey of 14,000 families in nine countries of Asia, 2,400 African small business persons, and 360 Venezuelan migrants in Latin America.
The previous predictions on alarming levels of violence, poverty, and hunger triggered by coronavirus outbreak are already reflecting in the world, claims the report. As per earlier predictions, the worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic would be those who were already facing the wrath of conflict, displacement and climate change.
Further, the studies across the nations of Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia suggest that children are on the verge of a catastrophe, says World Vision New Zealand National Director Grant Bayldon, citing their assessments.
Covid outbreak impact on vulnerable children
Lost income sources, food crisis and inability to cope up by families has risen children’s risks, Bayldon said. The already visible effects can turn into extreme poverty and hunger, more than seen over the decades, he further informed.
According to United Nations projection, the figure of 385 million children living in extreme poverty in 2019, will see an increase by 66 million this year. A UN report has also said, an estimated 10 million children worldwide are likely to face malnutrition in 2020.
Covid-linked global economic slowdown has resulted in large-scale job cuts along with schools being closed for months. That’s why more and more children are likely to be pushed in child labour, says the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Current figures on child labour worldwide
Currently, around 152 million children are in child labour across the world. Of them, nearly 73 million of them are in hazardous sectors like mining and construction, estimates the ILO. As per the global agency, over 72.1 million child labourers are in Africa, 62.1 million in Asia and Pacific. Also, 10.7 million are in Americas, 5.5 million in Europe and Central Asia and 1.2 million are in Arab States.
Agriculture sector is the most dominant sector in terms of child labour, with around 71 percent of child employment. In this sector, children are doing hazardous and dangerous activities, like working with pesticides and cattle herding. Other 17 percent child labourers work in service sector and rest 12 percent in manufacturing industry, says ILO data.
Pandemic impact on children in India
As per data, India’s more than 10 million children are child labourers, with most of them in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. In India, coronavirus outbreak has left an estimated 120 million people without employment. That is due to mismanaged lockdown and dwindling government policies.
Furthermore, in India, it is the most marginalized sections, including migrant workers, who have faced major chunk of job loses. As many as 12 million people are likely to slip below the poverty line in result of Covid-liked job cuts, according to a World Bankreport.
As per general trends, poverty correlates to child labour. Also, the long-term crisis periods see rise in number of child labourers and fall in number of school going children. So, India is more likely to see growth in incidents of children pushed into begging, child labour and child marriage. This is helping families cope up with Covid-stricken food crisis.
In such countries, where children are more vulnerable, governments must be more sensitive and responsible. And they must quickly come in action to save the children from not falling pray to these evils. But bitter truth is, if governments played sensitively and responsibly, why children of any country had to face such situations.
