A little bit about Child Labor in Nepal

To help you understand a little more about what I’m doing here. I’ve decided to give you a rundown on child labor in Nepal. This is a description of the problem and the causes of the problem from a paper I wrote last semester.

CWISH focuses on Domestic Labor in the Kathmandu valley where there are approximately 83,000 domestic child laborers in Nepal. The project I am working on is to get the word out and encourage participation in programs and interventions for education of domestic workers. In response to the child labor problem, CWISH has been successful in creating a hotline for suspected abuse of domestic workers, multiple drop-in centers where domestic workers can attend classes for free the few hours employers let them off work, counseling centers for abused workers, awareness raising programs, child rights clubs so children have an influential voice and aided in the creation of the first labor union for child domestic workers.

Child labor in Nepal, especially bonded labor, domestic labor, trafficking, soldiering, portering and ragpicking, is extremely damaging to a child’s physical, emotional and mental health. The elimination of this problem lies in the resolution of the causes such as poverty, limited access to education, low importance of education for girls, societal acceptance and discrimination.

One out of every three 5- 14 year olds in Nepal is a victim of child labor. Child labor in Nepal is a constant reminder of an ineffective government, an insufficient education system and widespread acceptance of a social wrong in the face of great poverty. In 1997, overall child labor incidence was 26.6 percent (People’s Daily, 2005). There was an overall child labor incidence of 32 percent in 2004 (NLSS II Vol. II, 2004, p.45). Political instability and civil war has displaced many children in the past decade, forcing them to work (People’s Daily, 2005).

Typically 20-25% of household income is from child labor. Nepal has the highest percentage of children who are economically active in South Asia at 45.2 percent. Ninety-five percent of Nepal’s working children are functioning in an agricultural job. Children in rural areas are twice as likely to engage in child labor. Six percent of child laborers are full-time waged labor children who are working for an employer outside the home. Girls are much more likely to work and not attend school (Gilligan, 2003, p.1-7).

Of all child laborers in Nepal, 127,000 or 2 percent of all children in Nepal are engaged in what the International Labour Organization has identified as “The Worst Forms of Child Labour,” including bonded laborers, trafficked children, ragpickers, porters and domestic laborers (Gilligan, 2003, p. 6-7 cites ILO-Child Labor). These types of labor are considered intolerable and dangerous (Gilligan, 2003, p. 6-7). They are hard to research since they are often illegal and conducted in secret (Sharma et. all, 2001, p. 1). The worst forms of child labor often involve no access to education, separation from family, unlivable housing, physical, mental and sexual abuse, torture, discrimination, deprivation of food and recreation, loss of self-esteem, loneliness, insufficient training leading to injury and no access to medical care (Shrestha, 2005, p.15).

Bonded and Domestic Labor

Bonded labor and domestic labor can be compared to slavery. Many bonded child laborers are working off a parental debt. It is estimated that there are 33,000 bonded child laborers in Nepal. Many of these children are of the Kamaiya caste (Sharma et. all, 2001, p. 1). Disproportionate numbers of Bhutanese and Tibetan refugee children are enslaved in bonded labor. This illustrates the rampant discrimination against caste and minorities (Varghese, 2004, p. 3). The practice of bonded labor was declared illegal in 2000, but is not enforced adequately (IPEC, 2001, p. 5).

There are approximately 83,000 domestic child laborers in Nepal. These children are often not allowed to have contact with the outside world and must be constantly available to their employers. The secrecy and confinement of these children makes them very vulnerable to abuse (IPEC country profile, 2001, p. 6).

Child Trafficking

Child trafficking, particularly female child trafficking is a large problem in Nepal. About 12,000 children are trafficked from Nepal to India each year to become sex workers. Most are females between the ages of 12 and 15. “Girls who were forced into

prostitution in brothels reported an average stay of two years, an average of fourteen

clients a day, and 60% reported that their clients used condoms “sometimes”, “rarely”, or

“not at all”. The risk of contracting a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) is very high” (Gilligan, 2003, p. 9). Often the girls are sold with the consent of their parents and suffer marked physical, emotional and social consequences of their “work” (IPEC, 2001, p. 7).

Ragpicking and Porting

Ragpicking and porting can be very dangerous professions for children. Ragpickers sift through dumps to find recyclables. This can result in infections and injuries from items in the dump. This occupation also increases the child’s risk of drug use and illness (IPEC country profile, 2001, p. 6).

“Child porters face a number of serious health risks: increased heart, circulatory and digestive problems; tuberculosis; malnutrition and stunted growth; chronic leg and back pain; and a life expectancy shortened by as much as 20 to 30 years. The longer the distance, the greater the exposure to hazards. Long distance porters carry loads for many days (on average six), do not eat regularly and risk accidents on dangerous mountain paths (IPEC country profile, 2001, p.5).” In Nepal it is illegal for a child to carry more than 25 kilos, but the children are paid by the weight of the load and often carry loads heavier than their body weight (IPEC country profile, 2001, p. 6).

Causes of the Child Labor Problem

Poverty

Poverty and parental debt often produce child labor (IPEC, 2001, p.14). The need for more income and an employer preference for children are both determinants. For employers, children are less troublesome, more trustworthy, more likely to do monotonous work, less likely to steal, less likely to miss work, can be exploited, and don’t form trade unions (Edmonds, 2003, p. 34). Unfortunately, child labor can cause lower wages, unemployment and under-employment for adults, perpetuating poverty (IPEC, 2001, p.14). Other factors that contribute to child labor in Nepal are lack of access to education, the dangers posed by the Maoist conflict, inadequate enforcement of criminal and labor laws, a perceived low status of children, and lack of government support in enforcement (IPEC country profile, 2001, p. 3) (Shrestha, 2005, p. 7-9).

Social Acceptance

Public perception of child labor can also be a cause. The culture of Nepal widely accepts child labor as necessary or beneficial (Gilligan, 2003, p. 9) (Nepal Human Right News). Hiring a person to complete household chores is a central part of South Asian tradition. In Katmandu, it is estimated that 20% of all households employee a child for these tasks (Devkota et. al, 2001, p. vi). Some children even work because the benefits of work returns and work experience are perceived to be higher than the benefits of education, especially for girls. Many of the most dangerous forms of child labor have high payouts like soldiering, prostitution and mining ( IPEC, 2001, p.15).

Educational Opportunity

Another significant problem is the focus on eliminating child labor without ensuring education access or lessened poverty (Shrestha, 2005, p. 7). Lire Ersado (2005, p.3) compared household survey data from Nepal (Asia), Peru (Latin America), and Zimbabwe (Africa). Nepal had the lowest percentage (61%) of children attending school. This is possibly due to a lack of access to education. When compared to Peru and Zimbabwe, Nepal had larger disparities between male and female attendance in rural areas, with boys attending more often. This also suggests that access in rural areas is a problem, and gender bias is more prominent in rural areas. Educational institutions should encourage the admittance of females and be made more accessible to rural children.

Children need to be rehabilitated, and social and educations programs need to be in place to ensure a successful transition from work to school (Gilligan, 2003, p. 14). NGOs can help in these arenas. Children who have to work but want to be educated have to choose between work or school because school schedules conflict with working hours. If a child has to choose between food and shelter or education, they ultimately choose food and shelter (Shrestha, 2005, p. 8).