The theme of the World Day Against Child Labour 2022, which fell yesterday (12), is “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”.
This day is mostly intended to discuss and ensure children’s welfare, especially that of those who are working despite age limitations. In the Sri Lankan context, this has been a national-level issue for a long time. Even though the issue of child labour is not being discussed in the Sri Lankan context adequately, it is a globally prevalent issue, despite legal and ethical constraints.
One of the reasons why Sri Lanka should focus on this matter is because of the prevailing food security concerns. A majority of Sri Lankans wonder whether the country would face a famine, as warned about by several authorities and politicians including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the prevailing food shortage is giving the people a message that it is actually possible.
In this context, the issue of food security is about to become a major issue, and farmers are more likely to ask their children to engage in farming activities. This is not just an assumption, because social media posts about the farming community have already confirmed the tendency of farmers using their children for farming work.
Even though parents are almost always accused of misusing the labour of their children, the issue is far more complex than at first glance. This involves children’s education, parents’ economic condition, the country’s economy, and what is expected of the agriculture sector in the coming few months.
This is not just a matter that affects the farming community; this has far-reaching effects on other industries that involve grassroots-level workers as well. The fact of the matter is, most communities that depend on various industries – such as traditional industries including the farming industry – will at some point in near future have to pay more attention to their job security, because the country’s economic situation is only getting worse. In this context they will inevitably have to make a decision as to whether they use their children as labourers. Another reason that may exacerbate this situation is the lack of resources to hire the necessary number of people to farm. Most of the time, farmers use their children for farming activities, and according to recent unofficial reports in this regard, the Covid-19 pandemic has already led to more child labourers in the agriculture industry in Sri Lanka. One of the reasons behind this situation is the disruption to children’s education, which was caused by the economic collapse caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The bottom line is, parents should be more vigilant and thoughtful when it comes to their children. Merely because the times are difficult, does not mean children should be labourers. In fact, the focus should be on protecting children during these economic hardships, rather than putting children's future in the dark. To achieve that, there should be legal provisions that prohibit children from working even in their domestic environments.
How Sri Lanka can do so is a pertinent question, mostly due to the prevailing crises. On the one hand, the people should be more responsible when they are required to send children to work. On the other hand, there should be a proper system to monitor children’s welfare, and on the other hand, there should be a way to effectively see to it that children’s education is not affected by the support they extend to their families.
Sri Lanka is in a situation where it has to use every support it can obtain. In this context, looking into children’s welfare is crucial. However, this is not just the job of the authorities; this is more about the parent's role.
Keeping children unemployed
13 Jun 2022
Keeping children unemployed
13 Jun 2022
The theme of the World Day Against Child Labour 2022, which fell yesterday (12), is “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”.
This day is mostly intended to discuss and ensure children’s welfare, especially that of those who are working despite age limitations. In the Sri Lankan context, this has been a national-level issue for a long time. Even though the issue of child labour is not being discussed in the Sri Lankan context adequately, it is a globally prevalent issue, despite legal and ethical constraints.
One of the reasons why Sri Lanka should focus on this matter is because of the prevailing food security concerns. A majority of Sri Lankans wonder whether the country would face a famine, as warned about by several authorities and politicians including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the prevailing food shortage is giving the people a message that it is actually possible.
In this context, the issue of food security is about to become a major issue, and farmers are more likely to ask their children to engage in farming activities. This is not just an assumption, because social media posts about the farming community have already confirmed the tendency of farmers using their children for farming work.
Even though parents are almost always accused of misusing the labour of their children, the issue is far more complex than at first glance. This involves children’s education, parents’ economic condition, the country’s economy, and what is expected of the agriculture sector in the coming few months.
This is not just a matter that affects the farming community; this has far-reaching effects on other industries that involve grassroots-level workers as well. The fact of the matter is, most communities that depend on various industries – such as traditional industries including the farming industry – will at some point in near future have to pay more attention to their job security, because the country’s economic situation is only getting worse. In this context they will inevitably have to make a decision as to whether they use their children as labourers. Another reason that may exacerbate this situation is the lack of resources to hire the necessary number of people to farm. Most of the time, farmers use their children for farming activities, and according to recent unofficial reports in this regard, the Covid-19 pandemic has already led to more child labourers in the agriculture industry in Sri Lanka. One of the reasons behind this situation is the disruption to children’s education, which was caused by the economic collapse caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The bottom line is, parents should be more vigilant and thoughtful when it comes to their children. Merely because the times are difficult, does not mean children should be labourers. In fact, the focus should be on protecting children during these economic hardships, rather than putting children's future in the dark. To achieve that, there should be legal provisions that prohibit children from working even in their domestic environments.
How Sri Lanka can do so is a pertinent question, mostly due to the prevailing crises. On the one hand, the people should be more responsible when they are required to send children to work. On the other hand, there should be a proper system to monitor children’s welfare, and on the other hand, there should be a way to effectively see to it that children’s education is not affected by the support they extend to their families.
Sri Lanka is in a situation where it has to use every support it can obtain. In this context, looking into children’s welfare is crucial. However, this is not just the job of the authorities; this is more about the parent's role.
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!