SINDHUPALCHOWK: As many as 104 child workers have been found at ward no 7 and 8 of Melamchi Municipality alone. Among them, girl children are 100 and boys four.
It was revealed by the study conducted by the Women Self Reliance Centre. Fifty-two percent of the child workers range from 9 to 14 year, while others belong to 15 to 18 year.
Moreover, 15.85 percent of the total child workers are out of the school. Rest of them work in the rug industries every morning and evening and go to school during daytime. However, they have not attended the school regularly, the study added.
The Centre made public the study report at Malamchi on Wednesday. The child labours were not however involved in brick kilns. Most of the child labours involved in rug making were from ward no 7 and 8, according to Evaluation and Monitoring Officer at the Centre, Dhruba Sapkota.
Moreover, most of the rug industries being run in small scale at home are not registered at municipalities or other concerned bodies. Even the ward office lacks record on it, admits ward chairperson Tankaraj Giri.
The study further said the children working at rug making facilities were suffering from back pain and eyesore. Some of them even reported mental problems.
Although the law does not permit the children below 14-year in child labour, the parents themselves were found allowing it. The study report mentioned that 61 percent of the child labors were facing financial problems at home, while 39 percent were engaged in it due to pressure from parents. Similarly, 47 percent of them do not know about their daily wages, while the parents of 87 percent child labors receive children’s wage themselves.
They are bound to work from two to 10 hours a day.
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