Findings show gap in child labor elimination efforts

NL Today

  • Read Time 2 min.

Kathmandu: The findings of analysis conducted by Child-Labour: Action Research Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA)—a consortium program funded by UK Aid—have shown that there are gaps in the implementation of existing laws and policies from the local level to the federal in the efforts of eliminating child labor in Nepal. The civil society consortium is led by the Institute for Development Studies (IDS- UK), the world’s leading global research organization for development studies, together with Terre des Hommes (TdH), ChildHope UK (CH), and Consortium for Street Children (CSC). In country Nepal co-hosts VOC and CH in partnership with CWISH and TDH focusing on the child labor in the adult entertainment sector in Nepal.

The findings were shared with more than 30 stakeholders representing the government, working children, media, INGOs, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the field of child protection on Tuesday in the event entitled ‘Sharing the outcomes of the current legal/policy landscape analysis on Child Labour in Nepal’ which was organized by Children-Women in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH).

The report has forwarded key recommendations to the stakeholders to minimize the gap and to strengthen efforts to eliminate child labor in Nepal. The recommendations include amendment of the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (2000) with special focus on defining Worst Form of Child Labor (WFCL), mandating local levels to monitor the situation of child labor and increasing penalties for offences concerning child labor exploitation, establishing and strengthening child protection system with specific mandates, increased budget allocation at the national, provincial and local levels, promoting multi-sectoral involvement in the elimination of child labor through integrated interventions on rescue, rehabilitation, education, family strengthening as well as the employment of the parents of child, promoting the roles of CSOs and other stakeholders as technical service providers on rescue, temporary shelter and other support services, family tracing and reunion, reintegration, as well as in conducting studies and situational analyses of child labor and expanding social security and family strengthening programs targeting the families of the children in child labor or at risk.

During the discussion session, the representatives from the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Social Security, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen and National Child Rights Council shared that the reporting mechanisms for child labor cases should be in place apart from ensuring proper management and mobilization of available human resource for child protection. The representatives from the government reiterated that effective coordination between the concerned ministries, departments and CSOs is essential to address the issues of WFCL.

The participants from civil society organizations drew attention to the need of including additional ministries such as the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies as a concerned ministry related to child labor.