Top | Previous | Next | Text Only      Home | Journal                           Feature Exploitative Child Labour Articles and Papers Child Labour Project Child Labour - India's 'cheap commodity' Rural Institute for Development Eduction (RIDE) Child Labor Banned in India Awareness Programme Against Child Labour Planned Making them sweat Child bondage continues in Indian cotton supply chain Child labour, basic education and international donor policies Child labour presepectives (PDF document) Problems and prospects of child labour in rural Karnataka Indian Court issues international arrest warrants for labour activists Fact sheet - Fibres and Fabrics International (FFI) Video Clip Projects in Tamil Nadu, India, supported by the Lasallian Foundation Click on the photo to view this clip or click here (Please note this is a large file and may take som time to download - 5.83 Megabytes Child Labour 2006 218m aged 5-17 in work 126m in hazardous work Almost 50m work in Africa 122m work in Asia 70% of workers in griculture Estimated cost of ending child labour: $760m over 20 years Source: International Labour Organisation Other Submit an Article and Editorial Board,   Working Children - an Indian perspective CRI Journal Issue 6 (2008) Exploitative Child Labour, still a harsh reality By Bill Jackson, Margaret Harrison, Sasha Trikojus and accredited sources Both India and China are increasingly used by the west as sources of cheap manufactured goods, as emerging economic tiger states and, particularly in the case of China, as consumers of raw resources. However, the profits that flow from the export industries of both countries are heavily dependent on the supply of cheap labour. There is, however, a fear that the Indian and Chinese hunger for global success is increasing the chances of worker exploitation in those countries through competition to produce goods at ever-lower cost. See more about Exploitative child labour   Child Labour Project Child labour is often difficult to detect and is a complex issue to address in a responsible manner. Although incidences are rarely reported in workplace monitoring, corporate members felt that child labour might be present but out of sight. These concerns were underlined by NGO and trade union members, who confirmed that the risk of child labour in supply chains is real. Evidence suggested a co-ordinated effort was most likely to yield results and, with this in mind, the project was set up with the ultimate aim of eliminating child labour from the supply chain, while contributing positively to the lives of the children affected and their communities. See more about the Child Labour Project   Child Labour - India's 'cheap commodity' By Navdip Dhariwal BBC News, Tamil Nadu Farm workers toil long hours in the fields in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu for little reward in the intense heat. But it is often their only means of survival. Cheap labour is one commodity India has in abundance. Hidden from public view though, is another workforce. In an isolated spot, miles from the nearest town, is a thriving matchstick industry. Here inside makeshift straw huts - and in the small dwellings that neighbour them - we found some of India's youngest workers. Rows of exhausted young girls - up to 20 and as young as five are working alongside their mothers. For 16 hours a day their tiny blistered fingers skilfully turn out matches for export. See more about Navdip Dhariwai's article   Rural Institute for Development Eduction (RIDE) RIDE is a secular, non governmental organisation dedicated to empowering poor and disadvantaged residents of rural Tamil Nadu, to improve the quality of their own lives. Since its formation in 1984, RIDE has established itself as the primary advocate on behalf of children laboring in Kanchipuram's world-renowned silk looms, and as leaders in providing a broad range of services to the rural poor of Tamil Nadu. See more about RIDE   Child Labor Banned in India Stefan Lovgren National Geographic News Indian law already prohibits the employment of children under 14 in "hazardous" industries. Yet child labor remains widespread in India, despite the country's emerging economic power. At least 12 million Indian children work instead of going to school, according to government estimates. Advocacy groups say the real figure could be as high as 60 million. See more about Stefan Lovgren's article   Awareness Programme Against Child Labour Planned Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Staff Reporter The Hindu Nagercoil: The State convener of Campaign against Child Labour (CACL), Y. Siluvai Vasthiyan, has urged the Government to ensure the safety of 44,000 children, who were reported missing annually. Of that only 22 per cent got traced. There were four lakh children (below 18 years juvenile justice (care and protection) act – 2000) who were victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the country and every year one lakh children were lured in to it. Over 10 crore children were forced in to various forms of labour and that it was nearly one third of the entire children population in India. Mr. Siluvai said that it was proposed to conduct awareness programme throughout the State, including Kanyakumari district. Various non-governmental organisations and trade unions were exploiting the disaster-hit coastal population, who had already lost their livelihood sources. Girls were targeted and taken to other districts for exploitative labour process. This phenomenon was increasing day by day. See more about the Awareness Programme   Making them sweat Holly Burkhalter November 7, 2007 6:30 PM Comment is free The news that Indian child slaves were making their products is a public relations nightmare for clothing retailer Gap but it could have a very happy outcome for the company and for child victims if the retail giant's proposed anti-sweatshop monitoring and labelling regimen takes hold in the garment industry. See more about the Holly Burhalter's article   Child bondage continues in Indian cotton supply chain MEDIA RELEASE                                                              Utrecht, 25 September 2007 More than 416.000 children under the age of 18, of which almost 225.000 younger than 14, are involved in (often bonded) child labour in India’s cottonseed fields. Most of them are girls. They work in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Compared to the 2003-2004 harvest season the total number of working children has risen. It only decreased in Andhra Pradesh because of local and international pressure. See more about this Media Release   Child labour, basic education and international donor policies Every child has the right to full-time education of good quality. The campaign ‘Stop Child labour – School is the best place to work’ therefore argues for integrated donor policies in the areas of education and the elimination of child labour. While the campaign welcomes the increasing amount of international development assistance being spent on providing basic education in developing countries, it seeks to ensure that sufficient policy and funding focus is targeted at not just those within the school system but those excluded from it as well. It is time to work towards a policy perspective that can offer all working children and other out-of-school children free, formal and full-time quality education. See more about this campaign   Indian Court issues international arrest warrants for labour activists Press release DECEMBER 3, 2007 Amsterdam, December 3 2007 – An Indian magistrate Court ruled on Saturday that international warrants will be issued for the arrest of Dutch human rights activists, report the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and the India Committee of the Netherlands, two of the organizations whose staff are being charged in connection with their efforts to raise awareness of rights violations at an Indian factory supplying Dutch jeans company G-Star. On the 4th of December, the court will send the case to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, asking it to execute the arrest warrants and request extradition of the 8 Dutch nationals. See more about this media release from the Clean Clothes Campaign   Fact sheet - Fibres and Fabrics International (FFI) The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) are conducting a campaign to help workers at the Indian garment manufacturer Fibres and Fabrics International (FFI) in Bangalore to secure safe and fair working conditions. In June 2007 FFI responded by launching a court case against the two organisations, as well as their broadband and Internet service providers, after having used legal action to silence local labour rights organisations in July 2006. See more about this Fact Sheet Links and Resources Child Labour Defending Children's Human Rights Amnesty International Australia Free-Trade Slaves for $70 a month Just World Campaign Fair Trade Federation Free the Children fight against child labor The National Labor Committee Global March against Child Labour Child Labour Guide One World ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour  Child Labour UNICEF Child Labour ICFTU  Free The Children International Child Labor Coalition Child Labour Human Rights Watch Stop Child Labour World Education Child Labour Guide OneWorld.net Whose life is it anyway? BBC International Conference on Child Labour and Child Exploitation Disclaimer The views expressed in the CRI Journal are those of the author's and are included to enhance discussion, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Children's Rights International. 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