Child Labor in India
Child labor has emerged as one of the biggest social problems in the contemporary society. Although it is a global issue, India is among the leading countries in the world that have been affected by this issue. In fact, it is argued that India is the leading country with the highest number of child workers. It is approximated that about 12.59 million children are employed in the country (Hartjen & Priyadarsini, 2012).
A number of factors have been highlighted as being the causes of child labor. However, poverty and social security remain the major causes. As compared to other countries in the world, the gap between the rich and the poor has increased significantly. Therefore, to augment their family income, most children find themselves working in various setups. As a result, the number of children dropping out of schools has been increasing at an increasing rate (Hartjen & Priyadarsini, 2012).
As a result of the increasing number of child laborers and poverty in the Country, various organizations have taken the initiative of offering incentives to reduce the problem. For instance, the United Nations and the World Health Organizations have stepped in in helping the Indian government in eradicating the problem. Whereas the World Health Organizations has been providing free health services to employed and homeless children, the United Nations has moved in to build schools for such children (Hartjen & Priyadarsini, 2012). Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that a lot is yet to be done, starting from putting into place rules and regulations that protects children from child labor. This does not mean that such rules do not exist, but more strict laws should be established and adhered to the letter.
Reference
Hartjen, C. A., & Priyadarsini, S. (2012). The global victimization of children: Problems and solutions. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
