2. M ISUSING
C HILDREN
∏
Child labor is an ongoing problem
in today’s society that existed even
back in the 1800s. Kids enduring
work at a young age risk their
physical and mental health by doing
so. Children are supposed to enjoy
their childhood and have a chance
to education. Vulnerable kids are
being taken advantaged of by
adults. One major exploiter of
children is India. Millions of Indian
children are facing either deliberate
or forced labor.
3. PAGE ONE
∏
Child Labor Occurring
in India
India is one of the countries with the largest
number of child laborers in the world. Each year, the
number of children increases constantly. For example,
in 1991 to 2001, the number had increased from 11.28
million to 12.59 million. 90% of child labor is occurring
in Andhra Pradesh which is in the southeast coast of
India. Each day, the children had to do a numerous
amount of work with very little amount of pay.
The town of Sivakasi in South India has been
reported to employ child labour in the production of
fireworks. The fireworks industry employed about
150,000 people at an average of 15 employees per
factory. In 2003, Human Rights Watch reported that
children as young as 5 years old are hired to
manufacture silk up to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.
It is revealed in 2013 that children under 18 are hired
to work in coal mines despite the law made in 1952.
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4. PAGE TWO
∏
Causes of Child Labor
One main cause of child labor in India is poverty, high
population of people who lack education. In India poor
people are all around the streets begging for food, this lower
class of people are insufficient in amount and they have no
choice to choose. Some of them need to send their children to
work in a bad condition such as mining industry and in
factories to earn money to support the family. However, the
average earnings of the children is about 2 dollars per day,
which is not enough to support the family.
Another cause is overpopulation that leads to a competition
for jobs. The industrialists in India have been successful in
taking advantage of disadvantaged job seekers, a person who
is unemployed and looking for work. As a result, the poor
remain poor working for low wages and living in a bad
condition.
Lack of education is a situation when a person is unable to
read or write. In India, people who are not educated will
become unaware of things which an average person is
required to know. Such people are normally unaware of their
rights, rights of their children and always get used by people
who are well educated. The children end up becoming labors
around their homes.
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5. PAGE THREE
∏
Consequences of Child
Labor
Children being victims of child labor don’t have the
chance to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and
psychologically. This is worse in hazardous working
conditions. Some children are mentally and/or physically
abused in these traumatic workhouses. Children who work
often don’t get education. This results in an endless cycle that
makes India even poorer. Because the kids don’t get
education, they don’t have the chance to compete with those
who does. If the rate of underage children working continues
to grow, there will even be a higher amount of poverty than
before. The children who potentially can be leaders don’t get
the opportunity to live up to their abilities due to their
education limitations.
According to the International Labor Organization, it is
economically more beneficial to send children to school
rather than to work. Not giving children education affects
the country as a whole. Without many educated people, the
country becomes less developed. The evidence is present as
the most developed countries have the highest literacy rates
as opposed to those of the less developed countries.
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6. PAGE FOUR
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YOU can Make a
Difference
• Raiseawareness for this cause by
discussing this matter with your peers
or adults.
• Stop
buying goods that you know are
made by children.
• Donate some funds that go into
building schools for these children.
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