Why Young Children Are Working From Dawn to Dusk

Summary

In Nepal, over a million children are entangled in labor, with approximately 17,000 working in brick factories amidst hazardous conditions. Despite laws prohibiting child labor under 14, 10% of these workers are underage. The script reveals the plight of Oven and Sangeeta, siblings who became breadwinners after their father's death, working long hours for meager pay. It also exposes the exploitation of children from marginalized castes and the lack of enforcement of child labor laws, including by a local politician. Local charities like Our Sansa are making efforts to rescue children and provide education, but the battle against deeply rooted poverty and social structures is immense.

Takeaways

• 👷 Over a million children in Nepal are engaged in labor, with many working in exploitative and dangerous conditions in brick factories.
• 📜 Despite laws prohibiting the employment of children under 14, around 10 percent of workers in brick factories are underage.
• 👶 Evidence shows at least 87 children under 14 working in six factories, some as young as five years old.
• 🌞 Children work from dawn to dusk, often without proper training and in poor conditions, leading to frequent injuries.
• 💰 The low pay for brick-making, which is less than half the national minimum wage, is a factor attracting businesses to employ children.
• 🤧 Workers, including children, are exposed to dangerous chemicals from kiln chimneys, risking lifelong health complications.
• 🏭 Brick factories are a significant part of Nepal's economy, with an estimated 17,000 child laborers working in them as reported by UNICEF in 2021.
• 👦 Children as young as six are working in these factories, often because their families are in desperate need of income.
• 👮‍♂️ There has been minimal enforcement of child labor laws, with only one prosecution case in the last two years.
• 🏛 The government has policies to combat child labor but allocates a very small budget for inspections, with only 10 inspectors for over 30 million people.
• 🏛️ Local politicians, some of whom own factories employing children, have significant power and influence, complicating the enforcement of child labor laws.
• 🤝 Local charities like Our Sansa are working to get children out of factories and into schools, providing financial incentives to families to stop sending their children to work.

Q & A

How many children in Nepal are engaged in labor according to the transcript?

Over a million children in Nepal are engaged in labor.

What is the booming industry in Nepal that employs a significant number of children?

The booming industry in Nepal that employs children is the brick factories industry.

What is the legal working age in Nepal as per the transcript?

The legal working age in Nepal is 14 years old.

How many registered brick factories are there in Nepal?

There are more than 1,500 registered brick factories across the country.

What percentage of workers in brick factories are underage?

Around 10 percent of the workers in brick factories are underage.

What is the estimated number of child laborers working in Nepal's brick factories according to a UNICEF report in 2021?

According to a UNICEF report in 2021, there are an estimated 17,000 child laborers working in Nepal's brick factories.

What are the main factors contributing to the employment of children in brick factories?

The main factors contributing to the employment of children in brick factories are low pay and the lack of proper training and poor working conditions.

What is the average daily wage for a child working in a brick factory?

The average daily wage for a child working in a brick factory is less than half the national minimum wage, which is approximately 175 Nepalese rupees per day.

What are the health risks associated with working in brick factories as mentioned in the script?

The health risks associated with working in brick factories include exposure to dangerous chemicals emitted by the kiln chimneys, which can cause lifelong respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological complications.

What is the role of local charities like Our Sansa in addressing child labor in Nepal?

Local charities like Our Sansa help children like Arvind by providing financial incentives to families to allow their children to attend school instead of working, and by preparing transitional classes to bring the children up to an appropriate educational level.

What is the government's stance on child labor in Nepal, and what is their goal regarding this issue?

Nepal's government has ratified many national and international policies to combat child labor and has pledged to eliminate it by 2025. However, the budget allocated for inspections focused on the issue was only $3,400 last year with only 10 inspectors for a population of over 30 million.