Working Condition of Domestic Child Labour in Nepal: A Case Study of Swayambhu Area of Kathmandu District
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Department of Rural Development
Abstract
This study conducted on Working Condition of Domestic Child Labour in
Swayambhu Area of Kathmandu district as a case study 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 as domestic child labourers were sampled by
using the purposive sampling under the non-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 and
general working condition and root causes of the prevalence of domestic child
labourers of Swayambhu Area of Kathmandu district.
Study has found 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 have either father only or
mother only in the family. The study further reveals that the family literacy of
domestic child labour is only 25 percent.
Family occupation and land holding are the main factors of position and condition
of the family in Nepalese context. The family occupation of domestic child labour
shows 30 percent agriculture, 55 percent wage labour and rest of them others.
The land holding status of their family is (63%) having own land and (37%)
having no land. The insufficiency of food because of less agricultural land, poor
housing status and burden of debt are the push factors to domestic child labour of
the respondents. The parents of domestic child labour are themselves on
compulsion of their children’s labour because of the hand to mouth problem in the
family. The majority (51%) children work more than 10 hours 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 earn 401 –
800 per month. Only 55 percent of them are found that they are getting the
chance of study. In total 85 percent are satisfied with current job and rest of them
are not satisfied, the main reason of not satisfied with current job is too much
work. The relation of 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.
and sleeping after 10 p.m. Their sleeping place is primarily floor of the room.
The health status of domestic child labour is poor because they were found
suffered from either cough, cold, fever, chest problem, breathing problem,
diarrhea, headaches or ear infection 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, poultry farming, commercial vegetable
farming etc are essential.