ILO-IPEC
Towards Eliminating Child Labour

By Uttam Maharjan

CHILD labour is rampant all over the world. It is cheaper than other forms of labour and, unfortunately, exploited to the maximum extent possible. As such, the use of child labour has been preferred in many parts of the world.

According to the ILO-IPEC for the Asia-Pacific region, there are around 250 million children involved in economic activities in developing countries. And over 60 per cent of the world’s children live in the South Asian region. Likewise, as per the Nepal Employment Survey of 1995-96 around 2.6 million children in Nepal are involved in labour activities.

In fact, children have their own rights. They have rights to safe birth, proper upbringing, medical treatment, education, affection, freedom from misbehaviour, torture and exploitation and so on. So in a sense, child labour is a breach of their rights. It may also be taken as an infringement of human rights.

The children in Nepal are involved in various forms of labour. Some children are forced to work in their own houses in a pitiful condition. Such in-house labour also falls under child labour.

Some children are compelled to work in others’ houses, factories and the like places. Others work as farmhands and petty shopkeepers. Still others just end up as street urchins. It may be mind-boggling to note that their are several instances in which children are drafted into the armed forces. Even the Maoist insurgents, who have been fighting against the government for the last six years, are reported to have conscripted children into their forces.

In Nepal, child labourers work as domestics, porters, ragpickers, factory workers, agricultural workers, petty shopkeepers, bonded labourers and so on. No matter what work they do and how long they work, they often fall victim to exploitation, torture and other excesses like sexual assault and trafficking.

Poverty and lack of education may be regarded as the culprits responsible for engendering child labour. As 42 per cent of the Nepalese are living below the poverty line, some children are forced even by their parents or step-parents to work so that they may help support the families.

There are cases wherein children are turned adrift by their parents, while others flee their homes to escape torture at the hands of their parents or step-parents, or in search of a better life in the city areas. Such children may end up as child labourers at long last.

In order to help children steer clear of the clutches of labour, education and skill development for gainful employment should be accentuated. Therefore, the government should embark upon special programmes in this direction.

Nepal has a legal provision against child labour. As per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2057, it is forbidden to employ children in factories, collieries and such sectors. And while employing them, their health, security and facilities should be properly arranged for. Likewise, nobody is allowed to employ under-fourteens, otherwise, they will have to face legal penalties-either fines or imprisonment or both.

The act has also predicted the consent of the Labour Ministry and the concerned parents/guardians for the engaging of their children in any factory, industry or business-houses.

Despite the legal provision, the tempo of child labour has not shown any sign of dwindling. So long as a viable alternative to child labour cannot be developed, the problem will persist in the years ahead.

It is worth noting at this juncture that the UNO General Assembly passed a convention regarding children’s rights on 20 November 1989, to which Nepal is also a signatory. The convention has explicitly mentioned children’s rights and the protection thereof. However, it has been practically arduous to implement the tenets enshrined in the convention. Conse-quently, the world has not been able to extirpate the exploitation of children yet.

Taking a great interest in the welfare of children, the ILO launched a major programme called the International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) in 1992. The programme aims at spending government funds on eliminating the worst forms of child labour with emphasis on developing national capacity for progressively eliminating them. Thus, the programmes underline the need for tackling the child labour problem for the uplift of the status of children.

As a matter of fact, the IPEC centres on children working in hazardous and abusive conditions, child prostitutes, child bonded labourers and girl children. It has been supported by trade unions, employers’ unions, UN agencies, NGOs and local bodies to make its activities more efficacious and efficient.

Realising the need for addressing the child labour problem in Nepal, the Nepalese government and ILO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 1995, paving the way for extending IPEC activities to the country. As a sincere gesture, the government has formed a National Steering Committee under the Ministry of Labour of advise on the nature and scope of the IPEC activities. Consequently, more than 100 action programmes and mini-programmes have since been carried out in the country.

Child labour exists in many forms, ranging from mild to diabolic ones. In June 1999, the ILO reached a decision nem con to adopt a new convention banning the worst forms of child labour. They include child porters, child domestics, rag-pickers, bonded labourers and child trafficking.

It may be noted with gratification herein that Nepal has been selected as one of the three countries for the launch of the ILO-IPEC Time-Bound Programme against the worst forms of child labour. The other countries are El Salvador and Tanzania.

Child labour deprives children of their basic rights like education. They are considered the pillars of the future, it is today’s children who will shoulder the onus of developing their country in the future. So to make them able citizens, they should be properly educated. The child-welfare activities like those of the IPEC could set the stage for this.

Therefore, it is now imperative for the government, NGOs employers and civil society to act synergistically towards making the IPEC activities successful. This will hopefully contribute to mitigating the incidence of child labour to a great extent.

Significance of  Nepalese Festivals

By Guna Dev Bhattarai

NEPAL has been called the land of many festivals dominated by religious considerations. From Baisakh to Chaitra that is from the beginning of the year to its end we celebrate many festivals. Besides national festivals we have local festivals in the Kathmandu Valley, the Terai and the hilly regions of our country.

During the festivals we forget for the time being our burdensome life by means of merriment associated with certain prescribed rituals, dancing, singing and making fun of different sorts. Heritage of civilization and culture can be manifested during the festivals as they are the integral parts of the nation.

Different festivals together with other auspicious ceremonies if they are observed according to the means of the country will bring peace and unity among the people of our country. The people of any country inspite of having different ethnic groups are bound to be united on the occasions of national festivals associated with the prescribed rituals. It is equally important on the part of the people to be associated even in the local festival with the concerned people of different ethnic groups so that fraternity may be fostered.

Life has been entangled in various problems but they can be temporarily relieved if we participate in the festivals whether they may be local or national. The main purpose of our participation on the occasion of local festival is the firm conviction of our religious tolerance. It gives us new vigour, new spirit and new initiation which make our life happy.

The greatness of a society lies in the manifestation of its civilization and culture on the occasions of festivals.

Nepal is a land of many rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, falls and the like. Festivals are observed in keeping with the geographical position, climate and various activities coming down from ages of many ethnic groups. The natural beauty of our country with varieties of flora and fauna have enhanced the cultural life of the people. Inspite of different faiths such as Vaisnavism, Saivisen, Buddhism and the like, the people of our country do not feel alienated from one another when they observe festivals without giving a thought to their faiths. That is why all the people of our country are religiously tolerant.

The festivals which are observed are based on economy, social structures and entertainment but the main purpose is based on religious beliefs. Frogs, cows, snakes dogs, crows, bulls and the like are worshipped on certain occasions. Tutors, father, mother,sisters and elderly people are revered and honoured with presents of sweets, fruit and other delicacies of savouries on certain auspicious occasions.

Apart from rest, man needs varieties of entertainments which we can have during various festivals. Different varieties of musical instruments, dances and the like are used during most of the festivals. Sometimes caricatures of even great persons are permitted on certain occasions. Begging cash and kind from door to door is also one of the customs of the people . Some festivals provide the spectators with jokes and funs.

Cleanliness is next to godliness’ goes an adage. In each and every festival the first priority is given to cleanliness. That is to say the house is kept clean by means of rubbing floor and door steps with cowdung mixed with red clay which is regarded scientifically pure. The people keep themselves neat and clean by means of bathing and putting on seasonal dress and ornaments. Besides certain rituals are performed for the purification of mind.

The items of food which we eat during certain festivals are based on health and hygiene associated with Science. On some occasions we take a thick soup of beans, of all varieties grown on earthen pots and mixed with various spices. It is useful for our system. Beaten rice, varieties of bread and sweets, fruit and meat are eaten considering the warm and cold climatic conditions.

The festivals have multidimensional aspects. On the one hand they help us to preserve our culture associated with religion and on the other hand they strengthen the bond of our nationalism. In short it is our bounden duty to be united even under adverse circumstances by following the traditional festivals, local or national irrespective of our different faiths.