According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), around 138 million children worldwide are engaged in child labour. Shockingly, 87 million are in Africa, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global total. Theirs is not just light work-nearly 54 million children are involved in hazardous labour, putting their safety and development at serious risk. Data show that 62 per cent of these children work in agriculture, 27 per cent in domestic or service sectors, and 13 per cent in industrial jobs, including construction, manufacturing, and mining, some of the most dangerous fields. The majority of these cases are concentrated in developing regions of Asia and Africa.
What drives this grim reality? Why does child labour persist despite being punishable by law? What roles do families and society play in this cycle?
The root cause is extreme poverty. Child labour rates are negligible in developed nations but rampant in countries where per capita income is low, job security is scarce, and daily survival is the primary concern. When parents' earnings fall short of basic needs, they are often forced to send their children to work-not by choice, but out of necessity.
Lack of education and social awareness also play a significant role. In many underdeveloped countries with low literacy rates, child labour is often normalised and viewed as a routine part of life. When injustice is normalised, it continues unchecked, trapping generation after generation of children in the same cycle.
For many poor families, education is an unaffordable luxury. Even with free textbooks, costs such as uniforms, transportation and supplies make schooling financially impossible. For others, immediate income seems more valuable than education, making child labour an inherited condition passed from one generation to the next.
Eradicating child labour requires strong government intervention. The authorities must provide financial support to impoverished families, reduce educational expenses, create stable employment opportunities and offer short-term relief to disaster-affected households.
Laboni Akter Kobita
Department of Public Administration
Jagannath University
laboniakterkobita6@gmail.com
