ABSTRACT
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Subsequently, governments worldwide implemented strict regimes of lockdowns and school closures to contain the transmission of the virus. Ghana's government on 15 March 2020 also announced a lockdown and closure of schools, lasting up till January 2021. Against this backdrop, the paper examined the implications of school closures on child labour in Ghana. Qualitative data for the study were collected between October 2020 to February 2021 in a small rural community in northern Ghana. Findings from 16 semi-structured interviews with schoolchildren aged 8-13 years show how school closures have meant that children from contexts of poverty: (a) are driven into child labour as they are either forced to accompany their parents to work on farms or sell foodstuff by the roadside; and thus, ultimately (b) engage in no learning during the lockdown period.
ABSTRACT
The presence of child labour in the world and Turkey is an undeniable social fact. There are various regulations regarding the protection of children both in international documents and in our national legislation. However, in the context of the street economy, some legal regulations, especially the occupational health and safety of children working on the street, remain incapable in terms of implementation. In this study, child labour regulations of various international organisations, including the International Labor Organization relating to child labour will be examined first, and then the existing regulations on child labour in Turkey in our working legislation will be analysed and explained. A number of actions that children working on the street who are street vendors tend to take, such as shining shoes, selling handkerchiefs, and begging, will be discussed in detail and the legal dimension will be examined. In addition, some legal changes will be addressed, such as the lack of a uniform regulation on the minimum working age and the confusion of child labour and child labour concepts. Finally, in the pandemic process that affects the whole world, the measures that are thought to be useful in terms of protecting children working on the street from the COVID-19 epidemic will be tried to be explained in the context of occupational health and safety law.
ABSTRACT
The development of the child is a big concern for all the economies especially in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic situation. In India, even before the outbreak of COVID 19, the prevalence of issues relating to children such as discrimination, mortality, school dropout and child labour is are important matters of social concern. This paper explores data on children in India for this purpose. COVID 19 like humanitarian crisis would not improve the social, economic and physical conditions of children. Economic growth in terms of increase in national income may not be an indicator of wellbeing of society, especially of children.
ABSTRACT
This chapter presents data on child protection issues of violence, abuse, trafficking, child labour, street children, child marriage, poverty, and child mortality in India. The paper then moves to present the policy position, various institutional mechanisms for child protection, different programmes and legislative provisions for children. Though we have very good policies, laws and programme designs, the numbers of children in distress and how India is falling behind compared to other countries in the world is of grave concern. The chapter not just highlights the mind-boggling numbers but also the resource limitations. With the COVID pandemic affecting the world and the subsequent lockdown, this has created a very worrisome situation with increased instances of violations of children’s right to survival, development and protection. As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the number of people in extreme poverty has risen from 84 million to 132 million during the pandemic, of who half are children (United Nations 2020). As the adult struggles for survival, the child, being the most vulnerable, is more likely to be exploited, abandoned and abused. In India, the allocation for children in the Union Budget 2019-2020 has shown a marginal increase of 0.05%, from 3.24% in the last fiscal year to 3.29% in the current fiscal year with a grant of INR 916.44billion (Ministry of Finance [MOF] 2019). The allocation to the government’s Integrated Child Protection Scheme aimed at preventing trafficking and providing care to missing, abandoned and orphaned children as well as rescue victims of child labour has increased in allocation. With the pandemic hitting the country during this period, this money could be still lying unused. Efforts should be made to establish systems that bring together all budget allocations for children in various ministries together. Child protection is not an issue just for non-governmental organisations. It should be in the mainstream for legislators, judiciary and executives;in other words, in the core of the mandate of the change makers and not just something that is the responsibility of families or communities or local authorities. India needs to develop synergies between different ministries and departments working for children and their rights, moving from silos to systems. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Child labour is a global phenomenon occurring predominantly in countries with lower socioeconomic status and resources. Societal and familial poverty, loss or incapacitation/illness of parents, lack of social security and protection, and ignorance about the value of, or limited access to, education are among the myriad reasons for the involvement of children in the workforce. Child labour is a barrier to the development of individual children and their society and economy. Global estimates indicate that 152 million children (64 million girls and 88 million boys) are working, accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide. Currently the COVID-19 health pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market consequences are having a major impact on people's lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, impoverished families and their children are often the first to suffer, which may push many more vulnerable children into child labour situations. Child labour in India is more prevalent than in many other countries, with approximately 10 million children actively engaged in, or seeking, work. This paper focuses on the issue of child labour, its causes and its ill effects. Further, it also reviews the international legal framework relating to child labour and legislative issues in India. There is clearly an urgent need for this issue to be effectively addressed and resolved.