Report: Child Labour On Rise For The First Time In 20 Years During The Pandemic

Amidst a rise in child labour during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the question of whether the world leaders will acknowledge this impact or conduct business as usual by the means of ignorance arises.

Activist Kailash Satyamurthi took to his official Twitter account to share a national report of child labour, hashtags #EndChildLabour2021 #FairShareToEndChildLabour have trended big time on the platform in light of the shocking revelations.

According to the reports credited to International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF, the illegal labouring of minors has increased more than ever during a national crisis of a COVID-19 pandemic. While daily wage earners are reported to face the harshest adverse effects of the crisis period, many unprivileged families have sorted to suspend their children's education and made them contribute to the family's earning.

This has led to a huge unprecedented spike in the statistics of child labour in the country and now the question arises, what will be the world leader's response to the alarming rise?

As tweeted by Satyarthi, "On the eve of the G7, the appalling rise in child labour poses the strongest moral challenge to our world leaders. Will they acknowledge this impact of growing inequality, or conduct business as usual by forgetting our children?"

On the eve of the @G7, this appalling rise in child labour poses the strongest moral challenge to our world leaders. Will they acknowledge this impact of growing inequality, or conduct business as usual by forgetting our children? #EndChildLabour2021 #FairShareToEndChildLabour

— Kailash Satyarthi (@k_satyarthi) June 10, 2021

Considering the strong Indian laws against child labour, Satyarthi has asked the entire country to "work together to make sure no child is forced to work to survive".

India has created strong laws on child labour. Now, we must work together to make sure no child is forced to work to survive. During the lockdown alone, my organisation @BBAIndia has rescued over 11,000 along with government authorities. Let us make sure no child is left behind.

— Kailash Satyarthi (@k_satyarthi) June 10, 2021

The said reports have been obtained from a joint study by ILO and UNICEF.  The studies inquire into the global estimates, trends and the road forward that takes stock of where we stand in the global effort to end child labour in a time when sustainable goals have been targeted to 8.7.

Earlier this year on January 8, 2021, over 61 children including 13 girls were freed from two factories in Delhi. They were employed and bonded labourers for two years.