Child Labour in India

India is home to close to 13 million children child labourers under 14 (Census 2001). Our aim is to make child labour socially and culturally unacceptable.

We work with state authorities & civil society organisations to free children engaged in labour and working to withdraw 50,000 child domestic workers from domestic help. We have been instrumental in the creation of a national child protection system.

Today in India, 28 million children aged 5-14 years old are engaged in work, meaning that India has the largest number of child labourers in the world. Poverty is one of the key reasons why children go into work and out of the classroom. Child labour has an enduring impact on a young person's future, making it an urgent issue to address.

Child Labour in India today

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) explains child labour as work which deprives children of childhood, their potential and their dignity, and is harmful to their physical and mental development. However, UNICEF suggests we think of children's work as happening along a continuum. At one end is work as described by ILO - work which is "destructive or exploitive work". At the other end of the spectrum is work that is "beneficial" and promotes or enhances children's development, "without interfering with their schooling, recreation and rest". 

We can see therefore, that there are many different types of child labour - including some which are dangerous and damaging to children. In India, all types of child labour are happening:

1. ·   It is estimated that 28 million children aged between 5 and 14 years old are engaged in work - meaning that India has the largest number of child labourers in the world. 
2. ·   Of these, an estimated 12.6 million children do hazardous work. This includes coal mining, fireworks manufacturing, the diamond industry, and silk manufacturing.
3. ·     Bonded labour is especially exploitative, as the child is forced to work, or is working to pay off a debt. An increased spotlight on these industries means that the worst forms of child labour are gradually reducing.
4. ·     Agriculture is the largest employer of children in India, with estimates ranging between 60-70% of all child labourers engaged in agriculture and related outdoor activities.