The problem arise
The Indian agricultural sector: Employs 80% of the country’s child workers and accounts for 70% of working children globally.
- These children are exposed to hazardous work and living conditions without protective gear or basic amenities.
- Spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS – reduce opportunity or access to alternative career.
- Female child laborers are sexually molested by their master or supervisor.
- The children of infected parents are ostracized and forced into isolation by Indian society. Some seek employment in hazardous factories just for survival, and some seek solace in homes that cater for infected persons.
Poverty, education and gender issues in child labor
In India, 28.6% of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2000, lower levels of educational attainment are tied to a higher incidence of poverty, and poverty in turn leads to denial or prevention of educational opportunities.
Moreover, the literacy rate in India is 76% for males and 54% for females. Approximately, half of India’s 220 million children, aged 6–14 years, are out of school, and 60% of them are girls. Indian illiteracy rates for women and children are higher than those of men and boys. Women’s high illiteracy rates further add to the problems of child labor and poverty: Lack of education predicts a future life of poverty.
Indian children are also environmental victims and suffer from malnutrition, resulting in diarrhea and respiratory infections
Girls at age 9-13 years are paid less than the boys, work longer hours, and are often more compliant than boys. Multinational and national companies prefer girl (female) employees, citing reasons such as better physical dexterity, the males and boys in the respective households withdraw from the family and financial responsibilities, leaving them to the female children.
International exploitation
These companies(agricultural based) are aware of their employment of child laborers, who earn wages ranging from 18 to 20 rupees per day and are exposed to poisonous pesticides like Endosulphan during their work, yet claim that they are unaware of the related health problems of these child workers.
The working children in fireworks and match factories earn an average of 20–30 rupees per working day, which begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m.
The children’s parents are paid an advance loan amount of about 1500 rupees per child, who are made to work an average of 13 hours a day from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. and make 30% less wages than an adult female and 55% less than the adult wage market rate. In addition, after the children are done with field work for the day, some are also expected to do chores around the employer’s house.
