essay on child labour in nepal

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About Child Labor in Nepal

How it works

152 million children between 5 and 17 are victims of child labor, with almost half working in hazardous conditions (Reid Maki). These numbers have decreased overall from years past, but for some countries the problem remains consistent. In Nepal, the issue remains persistent with around 1.6 million children in child labor (ILO in Nepal). The issue in this country is alarming, but many are coming together to improve the situation. There are researchers looking into the causes and solutions of the extreme child labor in Nepal, and working towards national recovery.

This is important because child labor is a major violation to the rights of a child, and may cause major setbacks in their mental, physical, and emotional development. Unfortunately, Nepal is still struggling with child labor, especially in women, of many kinds and for many reasons, though there are many putting in effort to fix the problem.

Child labor is work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development (Ale). While there are many kinds of child labor including agriculture, services, manufacturing, and domestic work, there are also what are referred to as the worst forms of child labor. These consist of forcing a child into debilitating work such as slavery, prostitution, trafficking, or any other illegal activity, as well as other hazardous activities. In Nepal, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, and use in illicit activities are prevalent of the worst forms of child labor (Findings on the Worst Forms…). All forms of child labor are wrong, but the worst forms are what need to be focused on and prevented immediately, though it is difficult to stop these issues when there are still reasons for child labor to be implemented.

Many issues in Nepal help child labor to remain implemented in the country. A main initiator is poverty. 25.2% of Nepal’s population lives below the poverty line (The Working Child). Due to the need for income, many families must resort to child labor to support themselves. That extra income is very important for the families, but unfortunately many corporations are more concerned with receiving cheap labor. Children are not paid near as well as adults are in Nepal, and they are mistreated severely, leaving the child less able to climb out of poverty. With these children working, they many times cannot attend or finish schooling. This leads to a circle effect where they cannot find good work due to lack of schooling, so their children must go into child labor, and so on. Of course, this does not happen on every occasion, but it seems to be a reoccurring situation throughout the country. There is little awareness of this cycle, and the issue of child labor, throughout Nepal, with a lack of government enforcement and protection. Better policies and laws need to be set in place and enforced to begin to solve this issue that affects the country as a whole.

While everyone in Nepal is affected by child labor and its causes, some are affected more than others. This is due to racial and social inequality and discrimination. Young girls are more at risk of child labor, as in Nepal boys are treated more highly than girls, and less manipulated for work. Many times the boys in a family are allowed to go to school, but the girls are forced into work and sometimes forced out of school. About 48% of girls in Nepal are involved in child labor, compared to the 36% of boys, with 60% of hazardous work being filled by girls (ILO in Nepal). This hazardous work for women is localized in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, due to the large night entertainment industry. An interview by Kiran Nazish found that many girls travel to Kathmandu to make an income for their family, often traveling from small towns. The work in this industry includes dance bars, massage parlors, and other places where the young girls are forced into sexual activities, making them vulnerable to human trafficking. Children from indigenous groups are more likely to enter child labor as well. They are treated unfairly and drop out of school to enter the work force. This is mainly because of the inability of the children’s parents to earn enough economically, as well as difficulty to receive a valid birth certificate for many. A third type of person typically involved in child labor is orphan children, unsupported by parental wealth. For reasons such as racial and social discrimination, girls, indigenous people, and orphans are more susceptible to child labor, though the country is working towards more equality by entering new laws and policies.

Efforts are being made by many to fix the child labor issues in Nepal. Many acts have been passed in past years which look to improve the well-being of children in Nepal, as well as looking to decrease the amount of hazardous child labor occurring. US Department of Labor states many child labor acts that Nepal has ratified, including most international conventions. Some of these include a minimum age, restricting the worst forms of child labor, armed conflict, and child prostitution, as well as hindering forced labor. The issue, though, is that most of the acts are not enforced well enough. The policies have definitely decreased the amount of child labor occurring in Nepal, but not near as much as they could, and should. Examples of this include meeting the standard for the minimum age of work, but not the minimum age for hazardous work (Findings on the Worst Forms…). They also don’t meet the standard for child trafficking, sexual exploitation, or compulsory education age. Not meeting these standards is very detrimental towards the safety of Nepal’s children, as well as the probability of them having a high quality life. There are several social programs working in Nepal through government funding to prevent or limit child labor. Some of these include the Green Flag Movement, the Child Helpline, the Decent work Country Program, and the UNICEF Nepal Country Program (Findings on the Worst Forms…). Groups such as these look to help Nepal address child labor. Additional child labor groups and laws were enforced in 2017 due to an extremely low number of worksite inspections (Findings on the Worst Forms…). Even with all of these groups and policies looking to end child labor in Nepal, the issue is still very large, possibly due to setbacks.

There were many situations which impeded the efforts to reduce child labor in Nepal. Events such as national disasters can cause setbacks in all aspects of the countries well-being. An earthquake occurred in 2015 with a magnitude of 7.8, according to (Magnitude 7.8 earthquake…). This is extremely strong and thoroughly effected the whole country. World Vision states that the earthquake killed around 9,000 people and injured over 22,000. The earthquake created avalanches and landslides, destroying countless homes and forcing thousands into extreme poverty. This national disaster obviously took priority to the programs which had been put in place just so recently. The poverty that came from this event also encouraged child labor, worsening the problem and making it difficult to help. National disasters such as this can easily take focus off of an issue such as child labor, and have many times. Additionally, the outcomes of child labor are also causes of child labor. When children drop out of schooling to join the workforce to help their families, they are becoming like their parents, potentially unable to receive a satisfactory financial status. This creates a horrible cycle which may push their children into labor, and so on. Another factor to this cycle is mental health, as child labor can compromise a child’s development: physically, mentally, socially, or educationally. The children may be mistreated and put in hazardous situations that leave them unprepared or unable to support themselves or a family in the future. Setbacks such as these make it difficult to decrease the amount of child labor and keep focus on the issue.

The matter of child labor still has a strong hold on Nepal today because of poverty, lack of education, and the many complications that our world provides. The issue relates to many contemporary world issues as it violates the human rights of many children, as well as being caused partially by the problems of poverty and inequality. These problems are seen all throughout the world, though they may be worse in select places such as Nepal. It is always concerning when one country is not improving as quickly as the rest of the world, but we are fortunate enough to have groups of people that want to help fix these issues. Even though the problem of child labor in Nepal is a cause of concern as of today, there are many groups looking to pass acts and policies to help improve the lives of Nepal’s children. Though Nepal’s issue with child labor is far from over, especially for certain groups, there is a large amount of effort being applied to stop and prevent all kinds of child labor.

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Home /  Trafficking & Forced Labour  

Child labor situation in nepal: challenges and ways forward.

Year of Publication: 27 June 2023 | My Republica

Published by: CESLAM

Child labor continues to remain a pervasive problem even after three decades of collaborative efforts for its prohibition and regulation in Nepal. According to the Nepal Child Labor Report 2021 prepared by the International Labor Organisation (ILO), 1.1 million children aged 5 to 17 years are engaged in child labor (in 2018) compared to 2.6 million (in 1998). Whilst national statistics show some improvement, other studies have shown grave concern for children engaged in the hidden and exploitative forms of labor in Nepal. There is no denying that child labor compounded by social, cultural, economic, and political factors remains a grave concern for all stakeholders in the country.

On the occasion of the ‘World Day Against Child Labor’ on 12th June, the government and its development partners are hosting several events throughout the month. This article discusses some pertinent issues and offers pragmatic suggestions to make this year’s slogan ‘Social Justice for All: End Child Labor’ a reality.

Why is eliminating child labor a priority?

Children forced to work in exploitative labor conditions are not only deprived of their fundamental rights to education, health, childhood development, sports, safety, and protection (as enshrined in Nepal’s Constitution) but it also directly impacts their physical, social, and emotional development. Several legislations and policies: Child Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act (2000), The Labor Act (2017), the Children’s Act (2018), and Muluki Civil Code (2017) among others recognize child labor as a human rights violation. As a signatory to various international treaties, Nepal is committed to achieving the targets of sustainable development goals (particularly SDG target 8.7) and even developed a roadmap for eliminating the worst forms of child labor by 2030. Despite all these efforts, a significant number of children are still working as child laborers in various sectors, enterprises, and informally. To achieve this goal, all levels of the government, CSOs and the private sector need to work collaboratively to push forward the child protection agenda and support vulnerable children and their families.

First and foremost, in the federalised structure of Nepal, several existing policies and mechanisms envisioned by the Children’s Act 2018 need adaptation and contextualization. As such, there is a dire need to define the worst forms of child labor and update the list of hazardous work including hidden forms of child labor and economic exploitation. The limited labor inspectors cannot monitor the entire country. Strong emphasis should be given to building capacities of local bodies including child rights committees that should actively participate in key decisions made for working children.

Second, it is imperative to strengthen the child protection mechanisms at the local, provincial, and federal levels that have specific mandates and enhanced financial, technical, and human resource capacities to address the issue of child labor properly. While it is praiseworthy to see an increasing number of child welfare authorities assigned to the local municipalities, there is a massive need for their capacity development. The provision of child funds with clear guidelines is critical that specify roles and mechanisms to support vulnerable children. Only after having all these mandatory provisions, the government’s vision to enforce child labour-free declaration campaigns can sustain.

Third, the need for a proper data management system and the use of data and evidence for combating child labor is significant.There is a plethora of studies done on child labor. However, they are seldom used as tools for advocacy and guide the development of plans and programmes. One of the ground-breaking participatory action research programmes - Child Labor Action Research Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA) collected and analyzed the life stories of 400 Nepali children working in ‘dohori’ restaurants, dance bars, spa-massage parlors, eateries and guest houses. The research highlighted several factors besides the poor economic condition such as family conflict, alcoholic parents, sickness and death of family members, extramarital affairs of parents and peer influence as the key drivers that pushed them into child labor. The findings of such studies will be instrumental in developing specific interventions sensitizing parents and guardians, teachers, and employers, on the risks of child labor as well as encouraging them to value children’s participation and protection of children.

Fourth, it is notable to support the initiative led by Nepali children and youths engaged in the worst forms of child labor in building their agencies. On 16-20 January 2023, representatives of committees/associations of working children from 16 countries (including Nepal) gathered in Kigali Rwanda demanding better policymaking and practice from the local to the global level. The development actors should promote such events and foster the exchange of learning and sharing of best practices, and innovative approaches to address the issues of child labor within and amongst all concerned line departments and agencies.

Last and most important, there is a great scope to strengthen inter-governmental coordination with the National Child Rights Council and specify the role and responsibilities of concerned departments within the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the monitoring of the labor situation and mobilize resources to support the rescue and rehabilitation efforts. National and international NGOs need to support system strengthening based on their global and national expertise and work with agencies at all levels to develop strategic plans to address child labor. Private businesses also have a critical role to safeguard their business and showcase ethical work and ensure a decent working environment for all.

Published on: 27 June 2023 | My Republica

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The Situation of Child Labour in Nepal: An Analysis (With Reference to Karnali Province)

2020, Government of Karnali Province Ministry of Social Development

There are still some 152 million children in the world who are involved in some form of child labour. Of these, a large number are employed in the informal sector, while 72.5 million children are involved in worst form of child labour. Usually, the number of child labour is higher in economically poor countries. In the context of Nepal, about 47.8 percent of children are still involved in some form of work. Even though the latest data are not available, the figures for 2014 show that 27.4 percent of children are employed as child labour. Of the children involved in work, 45.45 percent did not even go to school. The figures show that the rate of child labour in Nepal is high and alarming. This is even worse in Karnali province lagging behind in all indicators. The number of children working in hazardous areas such as transportation, construction, tourism is also significant. The use of available means and resources for ending child labour, implementation of existing policies have not been effective due to lack of commitment and will power. According to the sectoral data, policies and plans have been formulated to tackle the child labour, but there has been no substantial effort by government agencies against child labour. In fact, the government formulates the plans, but the implementation does not seem to be effective. Particularly child labour resulted from economic poverty, lacking access to quality education, social acceptance, weak implementation of laws, conflict and changing family environment, modern information technology and misuse of social media, lacking attention by stakeholders and political commitment etc. Despite the government's international commitment against child labour and the formulation of various policies, plans and laws, no significant achievement has been realized in this area.

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This research examines evidence from a systematic literature review on the effectiveness of interventions to combat the worst forms of child labour in four South Asian countries. The research presented examines the effect of interventions to reduce the incidence and prevalence of the worst forms of child labour in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Nepal. It presents lessons for policy makers, practitioners and researchers who aim to reduce child labour.

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End Child Labour, free children from harm.

Give children the safety, education, and opportunities they deserve.

Can you imagine a six year old heaving heavy bricks, working through the night surrounded by dust, chemicals and flames?

For thousands of children across Nepal, this is their reality. 

As urbanisation has swept through the country, the number of children working in often hazardous situations has soared. In Southern Nepal, there are a shocking 34,593 children living in brick kilns with their families.

In 2021/22, Our Sansar were investigating devastating cases of boys and girls as young as 6 years old working full-time at brick factories in Rautahat (in Province 2, one of the poorest districts in Nepal). There are 162 brick factories in the district and we were able to investigate thoroughly six  in that time, and identified more than 90 children working there.  

Our preliminary research indicates there to be over 2,500 children working in brick factories in Province 2 alone.

All the children are from the Dalit (untouchable) castes, mainly Musahar (known locally as ‘rat eaters’) and most are extremely discriminated against due to their background. In Rautahat 58% of people are illiterate, 63% of them female. There is a high prevalence of domestic violence, and few educational opportunities for girls.

There are over 1.6 million children involved in child labour in Nepal.

89% of working children do not attend school.

How we help end child labour

Our End to Child Labour project works to free children from illegal work and give them access to education and a brighter future. In order to do this, we must address the widereaching factors that lead them into this exploitative and dangerous work in the first place.

This entails ⇒ Supporting families so they don’t suffer financially when their children attend school and stop work ⇒ Changing attitudes in the community, so that child labour is no longer accepted and is reported ⇒ Improving access to education for the Dalit communities and growing value in attending school ⇒ Taking legal action against factory owners to bring justice and deter further employment of child labourers

In December 2022 we completed our pilot scheme to provide 20 children from brick factories with education and family support. During the hours their parents work, they are attending classes with us at a local school where they were gently introduced to formal education.

Since September 2022, the children have been enrolled into the local school full time, to ensure that they are a part of the community and are not being marginalised.

Just £40 gives a child access to an entire year of schooling

Throughout their formal education we also provide them with 3 hours a day of extra tuition to ensure that they pass all their exams. The level of education at the local schools is very low so most students require extra tuition to successfully finish their education, however, the parents of the children we are supporting are not able to afford these classes without our assistance. 

 From January 2023 we have been assisting all children we identified working at the six brick factories, and now 93 children are attending our classes and since April 2023 all the children have started regular school as well. 

Throughout their formal education we also provide them with 3 hours a day of extra tuition to ensure that they pass all their exams. The level of education at the local schools is very low so most students require extra tuition to successfully finish their education, however, the parents of the children we are supporting are not able to afford any classes.

 From January 2023 we have been assisting all the other identified children from and now 93 children are attending our classes and from April 2023 all the children have started regular school as well.

Helping the parents

We are supporting their families with rice and other necessities for a similar value to what the children were earning at the factories, to ensure their parents are able to keep them in school.

Just £9 can provide a family with a month’s worth of rice

Most parents want to continue their own work at the factories but we were asked by a few families to support them with income generation activities. So far we have provided one tailor with a sewing machine which he is using to generate income, and another lady was donated tools to open a portable umbrella and shoe repair shop. Now we are working with the families on setting up cooperatives and launching their own dairy business and agriculture production. 

 We will monitor their progress and if these activities are a sustainable source of income for these families, we will look to roll out further assistance to other families. We are also offering skills training to enhance their employability in a range of sectors, to widen the opportunities available to them. 

We were looking to prosecute the factory owners, however we are working now with them to encourage them to cease using child labour through our Child Labour Free Campaign.  

There is a huge need for support for all children who are victims of child labour, exploitation, abuse and trafficking.  Our aim is to replicate the project in neighbouring villages where the need is equally large.

“Children in Nepal are subjected to the worst forms of child labor”

Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Please give what you can to help us end child labour

Child Labour in Nepal

The legal minimum age for work in Nepal is 14 years old, and 17 years old for hazardous work. Children below the age of 17 are prohibited from working in factories, mines and an array of other industries. 

However, despite the clear dangers of working in brick factories, surrounded by harmful substances and carrying of extremely heavy loads, the work in this industry is legal for children aged 14 and above. 

Research conducted by the U.S. Embassy has found that the Nepal Department of Labour does not take meaningful action against perpetrators of child labour, despite having the authority to do so. Instead of prosecutions, cases are often resolved through negotiations, resulting in mild punishments for perpetrators. 

It’s common for business owners to put pressure on both inspectors and families to settle out of court. 

According to the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, “The Department of Labor’s budget, the number of labor inspectors, and available resources and training are insufficient for enforcing labor laws, including those related to child labor.”

You can read the full report into child labour in Nepal here.  

In the last two years, there has only been one prosecution across the whole of Nepal for children being forced into work. That case was brought by Our Sansar, for a boy named Vivek*.

For five years Vivek* underwent horrific exploitation and abuse. Many in his community witnessed the treatment he faced, but child labour isn’t a topic that’s talked about here, much less reported. 

For Vivek, his abusor was married to an army officer who had enormous influence in the community and wider society. So the years of physical abuse went ignored.

At just 13 years old, Vivek’s Mum had passed away and his father left to live in India. Vivek went to live with his Uncle, who put him to work in a restaurant and hotel. 

He was regularly beaten, burned with hot rods and he was covered in bruises and burns when we got to him. 

Vivek was addicted to drugs and when we took him to hospital, many councillors refused to treat him, declaring him a lost cause. 

Nevertheless, we persisted. Vivek joined us at our home in Birgunj where he continues to receive counselling and attends school. 

But Vivek was not the only child in his family who needed help. His brother too had been put to work in another district, where he was subjected to maltreatment and abuse. 

It took us months, but we found him and he has now joined his brother Vivek at our home in Birgunj.

We are in the process of seeking justice for Vivek, but it’s not been an easy journey. We’ve been met with all kinds of underhand tactics and pressure to drop the case. His father was kidnapped from India in a bid to reclaim Vivek and protect his abusers. 

The case is still ongoing and we will continue to pursue justice for Vivek and prosecution of the woman who subjected him to such trauma. 

Our overarching goal is for all children in the Rautahat district to access education and to end child labour for good.

*name changed for safety 

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Child labour on the rise: 300 thousand children involved in child labour across the country

KATHMANDU: Today, World Day Against Child Labour is being celebrated with various programs all over the world. In Nepal, programs have been organized through virtual media in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Despite various programs conducted by the government on the occasion of the day, it has been found that child labour is increasing instead of decreasing in Nepal.

According to the Nepal Labour Force Survey conducted by the Central Statistics Office, 2076, about 286,000 children under the age of 17 are involved in economic activities in Nepal. However, not all of them are child labourers, said Tirtha Raj Chaulagain, an information officer who is also the director of the department.

According to the National Census of Nepal 2068, 1,04,714 children were found to be involved in child labour in Nepal. Of them, 56,276 are boys and 48,447 are girls.

According to the Nepal Multi-sectoral Cluster Survey, 2071 BS, compiled by the Central Statistics Office, 37.4 percent of children in the age group of 5 to 17 years are involved in child labour. 27.9 percent of children in the age group of 5 to 11 years are involved in working for at least one hour. Of them, 29.9 percent are boys and 26.5 percent are girls.

The age group of 12 to 14 years is less than 14 hours involved in the work i.e. 44.2 percent. Of them, 43.4 percent are boys and 44.8 percent are girls. More than 14 hours is 15.2 percent. Of these, 12.3 percent are boys and 17.6 percent are girls.

The constitution and law prohibit the use of children in dangerous work. Provisions for reduction of child labour have also been formulated in the policy and plan. The government and development partners have also been assisting in the implementation of various programs targeting child labour. However, the problem of child labour still persists, said Tarak Dhital, former Executive Director of the Central Child Welfare Committee.

According to him, awareness and support programs against child labour have been running in Nepal for decades by government and development partners. But as a result, significant efforts have been made to reduce child labour in some metropolises and cities, Dhital said. According to him, the process of making hotels, restaurants, markets, wards and cities child labour free has also begun.

Despite the legal provisions against child labour, children are involved in domestic labour including restaurants, transportation, construction, agriculture, small and cottage industries, carpet factories, brocade factories, and others said the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security Binod Prakash Singh. According to him, there have been cases of children being involved in risky activities lying their age.

According to the National Child Rights Council, 79 children have been affected by 23 incidents involving children in various activities published in various national dailies and electronic media in the fiscal year 2076/07. Of them, 57 are boys and 22 are girls.

According to Milan Dharel, executive director of the council, 67 children have been involved in various activities to meet their education expenses and nine have been involved in domestic and hotel activities and three in public transport. According to him, 10 children under the age of 10 and below were also involved in the work.

Child labour is being used due to the fact that children are paid less than adults and it is easier to make them work for a longer period of time. Child labour is still prevalent in some areas due to a lack of awareness about child labour in society and social acceptance of child labour and lack of support programs for children in difficult circumstances.

As there is a shortage of manpower due to foreign employment, the contractors have been using various financial temptations to use children as an alternative.

According to the 2068 BS census, the number of children under 18, 16 and 14 years is 41.84, 37.37 and 32.35 per cent respectively.

What are government programs and plans to end child labour?

In the Fifteenth Plan (2076 / 077-2080 / 081) of the National Planning Commission, the nation has adopted the strategy of making necessary arrangements to end all forms of child labour. Under the Sustainable Development Goals, effective measures will be taken immediately to end all forms of child labour by 2025.

The second 10-year National Master Plan on Prevention of Child Labor (2074-083) issued by the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security has been implemented. The objective of this master plan is to make the Nation child labour free by completely eliminating all forms of child labour. The goal of the master plan is to eliminate inferior and exploitative types of child labour by 2079 BS and all types of child labour by 2082 BS.

What is the legal provision against child labour?

Article 39, Clause 4 of the Constitution of Nepal prohibits the employment of any child in factories, mines or other such dangerous work. The Children’s Act, 2075 defines a person under the age of 18 as a child. Sub-section 6 of Section 7 of the Act states that every child has the right to protection from economic exploitation.

It has ensured that children can be protected from any work that harms them, hinders their education, harms their health, physical, mental, moral and social development. Sub-section 9 stipulates that children under the age of 14 should not be employed in hazardous work or as domestic workers or labourers.

Pursuant to Section 5 of the Labour Act, 2074 BS, no one should employ children in any work that is against the law. According to Article 48 of the Children’s Act, 2075, there is a legal provision that the child welfare officer should provide necessary services to the children in such a situation if they are children of forced or bonded nature or of risky or inferior nature or engaged in labour contrary to the prevailing law.

The Convention on the Minimum Age for Employment under the International Labour Organization, 1973, No. 138, prohibits the employment of children under the age of 18 in hazardous labour. However, in the case of countries that do not have adequate economic and educational facilities, there is a provision that children can be employed from the age of 14 if they are fully protected in terms of adequate education, health and morality.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Child Labor, 1999, No 182, was ratified by the Government of Nepal in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In accordance with the provisions of this Convention, initiatives shall be taken to prevent children from engaging in hazardous child labour, to provide necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the rescue and reintegration of children from hazardous child labour, to provide free education to children freed from hazardous child labour and to provide appropriate vocational training. Including arrangements have been made.

Nepal has also signed Article 124 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Forced Labor, 2001, and Article 144 of the 2001 Convention on the  Agreement to increase the implementation of international labour standards.

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