Child labour continues to be a major problem plaguing our country. Wherever you go, you encounter shops that employ children. You even see children working in hazardous conditions.
Why does child labour continue to be an issue in India despite awareness about it? Read below to find out the causes of child labour.
Causes of Child Labour
Poverty
The majority of the population of the nation lives in poverty. Due to their inability to pay for their children’s education, poor parents force them to start working at a young age. In reality, they are fully aware of the sorrow caused by frequently losing close ones to poverty.
They employ their young children in homes, businesses, and factories. Parents send them to work as soon as possible to raise the income of their low-income households.
Disease or Disability
Due to addiction, illness, or handicap, there is often no income in the family, and the child’s wages are the only source of support.
In order to boost the family’s income, parents are prepared to send their kids to work instead of enrolling them in school.
Lesser Wages of A Child
Now, the question arises why do factory owners employ children in the first place? This is because a child’s pay is significantly lower than that of an adult. They can work more for a lower wage. This is why, to cut costs, employers tend to hire children in certain jobs.
Lack of Awareness
Parents that are socially backward do not send their kids to school. As a result, their kids have to take recourse to child labour. Many times, parents are unaware of different information and programmes for children’s education because of illiteracy.
Parents also do not understand the impact of child labour itself on the child.
Child Trafficking
Selling and buying of children for sexual purposes is not uncommon even today in India. This is especially true in the case of girl children.
No matter the reason, child labour is a terrible thing to happen to a child who is yet to achieve his or her full potential. We must fight against this and ensure every children gets education and access to good healthcare.