Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024

Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024

Why in News Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024? 

Recently, according to the Child Labour Report 2024 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, around 138 million children worldwide are still trapped in child labour. Progress has been made but the goal of complete eradication remains unfulfilled.

Major Findings of the Global Child Labour Report 2024

• According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, recent years have shown a decline in child labour, yet in 2024, around 138 million children worldwide are still engaged in some form of work.
• Out of these 138 million, nearly 54 million children are involved in hazardous occupations, which pose serious risks to their health, education, and psychological development.
• The report indicates that in the year 2000, approximately 246 million children were engaged in child labour. Today, the number has reduced to 138 million, representing a nearly 50% reduction, which is commendable.
• However, the pace of progress has been too slow, resulting in the global target to eliminate child labour by 2025 remaining unachieved.
• As per the report, if the current rate of progress continues, the world will need to accelerate its efforts 11 times faster to achieve total elimination.
• The largest portion of child labour continues to be in the agriculture sector, accounting for 61% of working children.
  • This is followed by the service sector (27%) and industries (13%), including sectors like mining, construction, and domestic work.
• The Asia and Pacific region has recorded the sharpest decline in child labour cases – from 6% to 3%. In 2020, about 49 million children in this region were engaged in labour, which has now reduced to 28 million.
• However, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most concerning region, with nearly 87 million children still involved in child labour. Population growth, conflict, and lack of social security have worsened the situation.
• The report states that boys are more commonly engaged in child labour, but when unpaid domestic work exceeding 21 hours per week is included, girls are not far behind.
• If financial aid to education, child protection, and social welfare schemes is reduced, this could reverse the gains made so far.
• The report emphasizes that legislation alone is not enough to combat child labour. Governments must strengthen social protection systems, such as universal child benefits, and provide decent work opportunities to youth and adults, so that families are not forced to send their children to work.

Key Causes of Child Labour – Based on Global Estimates

• Economic Inequality: In developing and underdeveloped countries, economic resources remain unevenly distributed. When families lack a stable source of income, children are viewed as additional earners. According to a World Bank 2023 report, around 650 million people live in extreme poverty, many of whom push their children into labour. For such families, child labour becomes not a choice, but a compulsion.

• Lack of Educational Opportunities: Education is the most powerful tool to break the cycle of child labour, but only when it is accessible, high in quality, and practically aligned. According to UNICEF, nearly 240 million children globally are out of school. Particularly in rural areas, the distance to schools, shortage of teachers, and poor infrastructure push children away from education.
• Social Norms and Cultural Beliefs: In several communities, child labour is still socially accepted. In parts of Nepal, Bangladesh, and elsewhere, there is a belief that children must learn to work from a young age to become self-reliant. 
  • In addition, caste-based occupations, like leatherwork, embroidery, or weaving, often draw children into the trade as part of family tradition.
• Weak Implementation of Policies: Many countries have child labour prohibition laws, but their enforcement on the ground remains weak. In India, despite laws like the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the 2011 Census reported over 10 million children involved in labour. 
  • Issues like corruption, resource scarcity, and poor monitoring hinder the execution of these laws and schemes.
• Natural Disasters and Conflict Situations: Wars, internal conflicts, and climate disasters indirectly lead to a rise in child labour. According to a UNICEF 2022 report, over 30 million children worldwide were displaced, with many forced into labour. 
  • When families are struggling for shelter, food, and safety, children end up fending for themselves to survive.
• The Role of the Informal Labour Market: A large portion of the labour economy in developing nations is informal, lacking in legal oversight, worker rights, or minimum wages. In small factories, cottage industries, hotels, and farms, children are employed for long hours at meagre pay without accountability.
  • According to the ILO, around 90% of child labour cases remain hidden in informal sectors, making the problem even more complex.

Status of Child Labour in India

• The most reliable data on child labour in India comes from the 2011 Census, which recorded over 10.1 million children involved in various forms of labour. This figure indicates that more than one crore children were engaged in work instead of enjoying their fundamental rights. 
• According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), India accounts for the highest number of child labourers in the 5–17 age group within South Asia. This alarming fact raises serious questions about India’s social fabric and the structural gaps that allow child labour to continue.
• As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 report, a total of 982 cases were registered under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 during 2021. The data reveals that legal actions against child labour remain extremely limited.
  • Among these, Telangana reported the highest number of cases, followed by Assam.
• The Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL) reports a sharp rise in child labour in India following the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown, countless families lost their sources of income, and many were forced to send their children to work as a means of survival. 
• A joint report by the ILO and UNICEF also emphasized that the global child labour figure increased to 160 million, with India contributing significantly to this number.
• States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra are among the biggest employers of child labour in India. These states have historically hosted labour-intensive and traditional industries, such as beedi manufacturing, carpet weaving, and fireworks production, where child workers are often exploited under unsafe and informal conditions.
• In many Indian communities, the belief still persists that children who start working early grow up to be more capable and responsible adults. This societal mindset, combined with poverty and lack of awareness, leads many families and employers to ignore the legal implications and moral consequences of child labour.

Global Efforts and Government Policies Against Child Labour

• International Initiatives:

• • • The International Labour Organization (ILO) introduced a landmark treaty, Convention No. 182, in 1999, specifically aimed at eliminating the worst forms of child labour, including hazardous work.
      • This convention urges member states to protect children from sexual exploitation, human trafficking, drug trade, and other forms of abusive labour practices.
      • As of now, 187 countries across the globe have ratified this convention, making it one of the most widely accepted international agreements. 
    • UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, plays a crucial role by providing policy guidance and on-ground support. Its strategies focus on raising community awareness, encouraging access to quality education, and providing financial support to vulnerable families.
    • Additionally, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include Target 8.7, which explicitly states that all forms of child labour must be eradicated by 2025. This goal urges nations to implement both social and economic reforms, emphasizing the importance of inclusive development.

• India’s Policy Framework:

• • India enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, which was later amended in 2016 to make it more stringent and comprehensive. According to the amendment, employing children below the age of 14 in any occupation is completely prohibited.
    • The 2016 Amendment also bans the employment of adolescents (14 to 18 years old) in hazardous occupations, such as mining, chemical handling, and construction work.
  • To combat the issue effectively, the Indian government launched the National Child Labour Project (NCLP). 
    • This initiative includes the identification, rescue, and rehabilitation of child labourers and ensures their reintegration into mainstream education through special training centres and vocational support.
  • In a major technological intervention, the government introduced the PENCIL Portal (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour). 
    • This digital platform, developed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
    • This aims to create coordinated action among central and state governments, district authorities, NGOs, and citizens for the reporting, tracking, and resolution of child labour cases.
  • The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, further strengthens the legal framework by making free and compulsory education a fundamental right for all children between 6 and 14 years of age. 
    • This law mandates the state’s responsibility to ensure that children are not only enrolled in school but also retain access to quality education.
  • Additionally, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, amended in 2006, provides specific punitive provisions against child labour.
    • Section 23 penalizes cruelty towards children, while Section 26 criminalizes exploitation of juveniles in employment.