Breaking the Cycle: Addressing the Causes and Consequences of Child Labour

The term 'child labour', is best defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, which is harmful to their physical and mental development. Their schooling is interfered with, by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school, obliging them to leave school prematurely, or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. 

Child labour in India is a crucial human rights concern which involves employing children under the age of 16, which is the legal age of consent in various economic activities. The practice of child labour poses significant risks to both the child’s physical health, mental well-being and social development. This has been strongly condemned by the Minister of India, who urges putting a stop to these acts. India has a large child population, with estimates indicating that around 4.3 million children are engaged in consistent labour—though the true number could range between 10 and 30 million, as this type of abuse can be hidden. Common areas where child labour is most prevalent include domestic service, farming, and factory work, often under hazardous and exploitative conditions. 

India works toward the common goal amongst other ASEAN countries to reduce the rates of child labour. Knowing that these forms of abuse can be heavily concealed, India’s authorities plan to implement a solution which not only decrease the rates of child labour, but also prevents the economy from instability. As child labour can be caused by generational trauma, it is important to understand how cycles of hardship, abuse, and poverty are passed down from one generation to the next. Families who have historically struggled with poverty, discrimination, or lack of education may feel forced to rely on their children's income for survival. In many cases, parents who were once child labourers themselves may see work as a necessity rather than a violation of rights. This normalisation of child labour, shaped by lived experiences and a lack of alternatives, can make breaking the cycle extremely difficult. However, India aims to make the lives of the children suffering from labour and their families to possess a good standard of living. This means that free education like tuition and extra classes will be granted, school fees will be made to be more affordable, as well as providing inexpensive or free school materials so as to ease the financial burden on families and encourage them to prioritise education over child labour. By making schooling more accessible for families struggling with income, the government of India hopes to relieve the economic pressure that often drives children into the workforce. Efforts are also being made to improve the quality of education, ensuring that schools are safe and inclusive.

Firozabad, in India, is known to be the largest producer of bangles in India, making up 46% of India’s total production. Bangle making is a household craft, with poverty being common in Firozabad, children are often forced to quit school and enter the workforce to help their families make income all in the name  of survival. These working conditions are hazardous and pose risks of myriad from skin burns and allergies. Shakuntala, a former victim of child labour, now 15, was recently sat down to be interviewed by a children's club supported and funded by ChildFund India’s Disha project. Due to being out of school regularly because of child labour, Shakuntala was often made fun of and teased for missing out on school. “I felt trapped” she said, the smoke from making the bangles had caused vision problems. These have been suffocating her physically and emotionally. After getting out of child labour, Shakuntala spoke how she felt free from the burden of work responsibilities. As if she had stepped into a completely new world and she was ready to dedicate her time towards education. “ My first thought was that now I can give my best to my studies. It was like I had entered another world. It was no longer suffocating. I felt that now I could do anything and achieve anything.” We need to take action so all children can be able to feel the liberty every human deserves. As a society, it is unacceptable to allow these types of acts to continue on.

Written by Xandra Kuek Xhin Rong, Cuencaho Kristel Aleana Noble, and Saha Pryonty Rani