A report by the Human Rights Watch shows that there has been a rise in Child labor in countries like Ghana, Nepal and Uganda due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staff Reporter
According to the International Labour Organization even though the three countries had made remarkable strides in reducing child labour which had decreased by approximately 94 million between 2000 and 2016 presenting a 38% drop, the prevalence of child labor is on its way up.
Jo Becker, Children’s Rights Advocacy Director Human Rights Watch said policies protecting children should be expanded to protect children’s rights.
Many children feel they have no choice but to work help their families survive, but a rise in child labour is not an inevitable consequence of the pandemic. The Nepali government and international donors should expand Nepal’s relatively small cash transfer program to keen children out of exploitative and dangerous child labour,” Becker said.
Human Rights Watch interviewed 25 children with the ages between 8 and 16 who reviewed that they worked in brick kilns, carpet factories, construction, mechanics, cotton candy, vendors selling tea. Nearly all children who were interviewed brought to light that they were negatively affected by the pandemic especially their families’ income.
The interviewed children showed that they were working 12hours per day particularly during school closures due to lockdown. They reported fatigue, dizziness back aches, pain in their hands, fingers and legs among others.
“My fingers hurt from knotting the threads, my eyes hurt from looking at the design map … and I sit down for hours so it really hurts,” said a 14 year old girl who worked in a carpet factory.
