No Child Labor
Duke Nepal | Kathmandu

Duke Nepal is actively participating in the campaign “No Child Labor” with the mission of creating a society free from child exploitation. According to the International Labor Organization, child labor refers to children performing long and heavy work by leaving school prematurely or lacking access to education, which harms them mentally, physically, and socially.

There are approximately 246 million child laborers worldwide, mostly in countries like Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. These children often work in profit-driven industries such as export, agriculture, construction, stone quarries, carpet weaving, and glass factories. While most children begin their lives with access to education and play, those born into marginalized families are often subjected to work schedules assigned by family members soon after birth.

Nepal and Child Labor

In Nepal, children are found working in factories, mines and quarries, plantations, domestic services, shops, transportation, construction, street work, and even in commercial sexual exploitation. Being one of the poorest and most underdeveloped nations globally, Nepal suffers from severe inequality, contributing to child labor, especially among minority and marginalized groups.

Power and wealth disparities mean that the majority of Nepalese families live in poverty, pushing rural populations to migrate to urban areas in search of employment, where children often end up in labor instead of school.

Child Labor Data

Female child laborers outnumber male ones, especially in rural areas. According to the Nepal Labor Force Survey (NLFS), 88.77% of children are employed in the agricultural sector. Other sectors include 1.4% in manufacturing, 0.3% in construction, 1.6% as shopkeepers, 1.0% in hotels and restaurants, 0.1% in households, and 6.9% in other industries such as cottage and small-scale industries.

Child labor poses a serious threat to national development. If children are employed at an age when they should be in school, the nation may face a lack of skilled human resources in the future.

NGOs & INGOs

In recent years, child labor has slightly declined due to decreased demand for products from India and Nepal in European markets. However, awareness programs are still urgently needed to educate families and communities. Numerous NGOs and INGOs are working tirelessly to eliminate child labor, and the government must provide them with a platform to conduct awareness and intervention projects.

Nepal’s literacy rate remains low compared to other countries. One of the most effective ways to eliminate child labor is to ensure easy and accessible education for all children.

Images:
Photo by Ben McLeod on Unsplash