The Nature of Child Labour: A Case Study of Dhungkharka VDC, Kavre

Abstract

Most of the underdeveloped and developing countries like Nepal have serious problems and vulnerable conditions of children. It has been existing as a sensitive national problem of child labour and child exploitation against child rights. In the context of Nepal, there are different reasons of child labour i.e. poverty, illiteracy, unawareness towards child education, discrimination of gender or caste/ethnicity, ignorance and unemployment. Exploitative socio-economic structure of marginalized poor people is compelled to adopt child labour. Nepal is undergoing transitional process of social transformation. It is impossible to achieve the goal if we do not integrate fundamental principles of human rights, social justice, and inclusive democracy with child rights in practice. That will be effective means of building new Nepal. The objectives of this study is observing the nature of child works in economic and non economic activities in Tamang and Brahmin communities of the study area. It has observed about the background characteristics i.e. educational status, types of works, working hours, parental status, types of works, working hours, gender status and so on. 108 households are selected in equal proportion of each ward of VDC for the purpose of the study where their children of under 15 are being used in economic and non economic activities. A significant proportion of child labourers reported that their parents are indebted, landlessness and poor. More children have been working from their parent’s advice. Child status is categorized in different conditions i.e. schooling only, schooling/working and neither schooling nor working children of Tamang and Brahmin communities. Income and expenditure of family shows least expenditure in education. Majority of wage earning children are dissatisfied from their earning due to the low wage and worst conditions of works. But their income and expenditure have positive relationship. Most of the children in the study area are malnourished due to food deficiency and inappropriate immunization. Children are more vulnerable condition in Tamang than Brahmin community.