Situation of Domestic Child Labour in Nepal A Case Study of Kathmandu Metropolitan City

Abstract

This study based on Situation of Domestic Child Labour in Nepal: A Case Study of Kathmandu Metropolitan City is mainly based on primary data collected from the area of study. The data were obtained through the use of structured questionnaires, field observation, and interview as major tools. Altogether, 100 respondents of different walk of life were sampled by using the simple random sampling under the probability sampling. They were the child labourers of different districts of the nation. The main objectives of this study were to find out the socio-economic condition, family background,general working condition and root causes of the prevalence of domestic child labourers of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. This study reveled that the maximum (48%) respondents are of 12–14 years of age. The main castes of domestic child labour are Chhetri, Brahmin, Tharu, Tamang, Magar, Newar, Bhote/Sherpa, Thakali and Gurung. Among them, the highest number is of Chhetri (25%) in the study area. The educational level of domestic child labour is 56 percent literate and 44 percent illiterate. The majority (82.2%) has the knowledge of primary level education. The main cause of drop-out of school of them is poor economic condition of their family. The maximum (39%) child labour in Kathmandu Metropolitan City are from surrounding districts; Nuwakot, Dhading, Kavreplanchowk,Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha. The family size of domestic child labour is 7–10 (47%),10 and above (41%), 4 percent have no family members in the family rest of them are 4–6 family members in the family. Out of total 43 percent domestic child labours haveeither father only or mother only in the family. The study further reveals that the familyliteracy of domestic child labour is only 25 percent. Family occupation and land holding are themain factors of position and condition of thefamily in Nepalese context. The family occupation of domestic child labour shows 30percent agriculture, 55 percent wage labour and rest of them others. The land holdingstatus of their family is (63%) having own land and (37%) having no land. Theinsufficiency of food because of less agricultural land, poor housing status and burden ofdebt are the push factors to domestic child labour of the respondents. The parents ofdomestic child labour are themselves oncompulsion of their children’s labour because of viii the hand to mouth problem in the family. The majority (51%) children work more than 10hours in a day, they have to do all the works of the home that ordered by their employer.The monthly earning ratio of domestic child labour is very less, majority of them earn401–800 per month. Only 55 percent of them are found that they are getting the chanceof study. In total 85 percent are satisfied with current job and rest of them are notsatisfied, the main reason of not satisfied with current job is too much work. The relationof domestic child labour with employer is found normal (54%), good (30%), bad (15%)and worst (1%). The wake up time of them is before 6 a.m. for the work and sleepingafter 10 p.m., theirsleeping place is primarily floor than other places. The health status of domestic child labour is poor because they were found suffered fromeither cough, cold, fever, chest problem, breathing problem, diarrhea, headaches or earinfection while this study surveyed them. The main message of them was “Don’t Make Other Children Work like Us.” The present study has found the way of relief of them by raising the income level of their family, for this purpose the activities or programmes related to awareness and raising income level such as; goat farming, chicken farming,commercial vegetable farming etc are essential.